There is a lot of 'one size fits all' advice in this thread which ignores important factors. Part of this is because you provide far too little information to m

There is a lot of 'one size fits all' advice in this thread which ignores important factors. Part of this is because you provide far too little information to make a good strategic choice. Is this startup a moonshot? Do you have recurring revenue? Are you cashflow positive and using the raise to expand operations? Do you expect it to grow exponentially in the next few years? Was your contribution tangible? Are your continuing contributions required for the project to be successful or can you hand off your responsibilities without a hiccup? Do you know the tendancies and desires of your incoming investors? Do you expect the company to raise capital through equity in the next few years. etc. Did you draw a salary from the company? Are there any shareholder loans? What's the board structure of the organization? Many of these comments assume that they know the answers to the above statements. They don't. Go speak with a reputable lawyer who deals with these types of transactions and ask him what the tax implications of your decisions are as well as a framework for negotiating a positive exit.