Cliff Vesting
Noun · Startup & VC
Definitions
A vesting structure where no equity vests until an initial threshold date, after which a block vests at once and the rest continues on the normal schedule. One-year cliffs are common in startup employee equity.
In plain English: An equity schedule where nothing vests at first, then a chunk vests all at once after a set period.
Example: "She left before the cliff vesting date, so none of the options had vested."