From IR Decks to Contracts, Secured by AI

Timing

Right after incorporation or before equity changes

Importance

This is a contract between co-founders or early equity participants. It serves as the sole standard for resolving internal conflicts such as "What happens to shares when someone leaves?" and "Who makes important decisions?" Investors will definitely check for this contract later, so it must be signed first.

Timing

First day of work (or before)

Importance

This is where business owners face the most immediate impact when signatures are missing. Failure to prepare can result in fines (up to 5 million KRW) and puts the company at a significant disadvantage in future termination or compensation disputes.

Timing

Before investment funds are deposited

Importance

This signature determines new share issuance and company valuation. Once signed, it's difficult to reverse, and may include management interference clauses or poison pill provisions, so it must be signed most carefully after legal review.

Timing

Before starting outsourced work

Importance

Especially for development or design outsourcing, the clause stating **'ownership transfers to our company upon final payment'** must be signed. Without this signature, you may face copyright disputes even after receiving the deliverables.

Timing

Just before sharing core information (business plans, source code, etc.)

Importance

You must obtain the other party's signature before explaining your business model to external partners or potential collaborators. A signed NDA is necessary for legal protection and damage claims in case of technology leaks.

Timing

When promising equity compensation to key talent

Importance

Verbal promises alone have no legal effect. Only after a shareholders' meeting resolution and signing an official contract can you achieve the lock-in effect for talent, and exercise legitimate rights during future IPO or acquisition.

Timing

When introducing external tools that handle customer data (Cloud, CS tools, etc.) or granting database access to partners

Importance

Separate from simply announcing a privacy policy, this is a contract with companies that handle our customers' data. In case of a data breach, it clearly defines **liability (who will pay the fine)** and stipulates the security management obligations of the data processor.

Timing

At service launch (when users click the 'Agree' button, that action is the signature)

Importance

This is the 'constitution' of a SaaS service. It specifies refund policies for paid subscriptions, compensation scope for service outages, and whether user data will be used for AI training. Without this signature (consent), operating the service itself may be illegal.

Timing

Before signing a formal contract, when setting the tone with "Let's work together positively"

Importance

While often having weak legal binding force, it serves as a good indicator to show investors that **"we have partnerships with companies of this scale."** However, it may include clauses such as exclusive negotiation rights, so it should not be taken lightly.