Postgraduate DiplomaAutomotive & Motorsport Applications open

Diploma in Term Sheets, Governance and Exit Strategy

Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in term sheets, governance and exit strategy. 8 modules covering start-up financing, term sheet clauses, shareholders' agreements, cap tables and dilution, corporate governance, exit strategies and M&A processes, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration6–8 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma

Diploma in Term Sheets, Governance and Exit Strategy — studying from Canada

Canada's automotive industry is concentrated in Ontario, particularly around Windsor, Oshawa, Brampton and St. Catharines, with assembly plants and a dense supplier network. Companies such as General Motors Canada, Stellantis Canada and Toyota Canada operate production facilities, supported by a strong parts sector. Motorsport activity is present through national series and circuits such as Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Mosport. Engineers work on vehicle design, powertrain development, manufacturing engineering and supplier quality.

Fees for Canada: C$1,400 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Canada

  • Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA)
  • Society of Automotive Engineers Canada (SAE Canada)
  • Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group)
  • Transport Canada

Typical roles

  • Automotive Design Engineer
  • Powertrain Engineer
  • Manufacturing Engineer
  • Vehicle Test Engineer

Questions from Canada

Which Canadian bodies recognise automotive engineering qualifications?

Automotive engineers in Canada often hold Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) licences from provincial associations such as Professional Engineers Ontario, which regulate the title 'engineer'. SEIUM is a private institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees and are not accredited by any national body, so they do not confer P.Eng. status. Whether an employer or other body recognises the training is their decision, so confirm this before you enrol.

Where in Canada would automotive or motorsport training be useful to employers?

Canada has automotive manufacturing centred in Ontario, with suppliers across the country, and a range of motorsport and performance engineering businesses. Employers in these areas typically assess candidates on skills, portfolios and practical experience. A SEIUM final project can document your work, but how much weight a private qualification carries is up to each employer, so ask them directly.

How does the workload and funding work for someone employed in Canada?

Programmes are fully online, so you can study from anywhere, including outside Canadian time zones if needed, but schedules should be planned around your work. Hours range from 300 for specialist courses to 1,900 for master's programmes. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Teaching is in English, and an assigned technical tutor supports you throughout.

Virtual lab · try it before you enrol

Take the controls.

Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.

SIM · LIVE ●
Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Understand the funding sources available to technology start-ups.

02

Interpret and negotiate the clauses of a term sheet.

03

Design balanced shareholders' agreements.

04

Manage capitalisation tables and dilution.

05

Establish corporate governance suited to growth.

06

Plan exit strategies.

07

Take part in company sale and purchase processes.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Start-up chief financial officers.
  • Venture capital analysts.
  • Transaction advisers.
  • Founders of technology companies preparing a funding round.
  • Corporate development managers.
  • Venture capital lawyers.
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to enter venture capital.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Royal Legislative Decree 1/2010 (Spanish Companies Act)
  • Law 28/2022 (Spanish start-up ecosystem law)
  • Law 22/2014 (venture capital entities)
  • Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (prospectus regulation)
  • Royal Decree 571/2023 (foreign investment)
  • CNMV Good Governance Code (listed company governance)
  • Law 35/2006 (personal income tax treatment of stock options)
  • Carta
  • Ledgy
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Datasite
Syllabus

8 modules

  1. 1.1Funding stages from pre-seed to Series C
  2. 1.2Business angels, venture capital and corporate VC
  3. 1.3SAFE instruments and convertible notes
  4. 1.4Participating loans and ENISA
  5. 1.5Public R&D funding
  6. 1.6The deeptech and engineering ecosystem
  7. 1.7Technical and investor due diligence
  8. 1.8Timeline of a funding round
  9. 1.9Investor relations
  10. 1.10Case study: funding plan for a hardware start-up
  1. 2.1Pre-money and post-money valuation
  2. 2.2Types of preferred shares
  3. 2.3Participating and non-participating liquidation preference
  4. 2.4Full-ratchet and weighted-average anti-dilution clauses
  5. 2.5Pre-emptive subscription rights
  6. 2.6Employee option pool
  7. 2.7Conditions precedent to closing
  8. 2.8Exclusivity and confidentiality
  9. 2.9Current market terms
  10. 2.10Workshop: comparing two real term sheets
  1. 3.1Board of directors and its composition
  2. 3.2Reserved matters and vetoes
  3. 3.3Information rights
  4. 3.4Lock-in and non-compete clauses
  5. 3.5Founder vesting and cliff
  6. 3.6Good leaver and bad leaver
  7. 3.7Drag-along and tag-along
  8. 3.8Rights of first refusal
  9. 3.9Deadlock resolution
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: drafting a shareholders' agreement
  1. 4.1Building a capitalisation table
  2. 4.2Effect of successive rounds
  3. 4.3Conversion of notes and SAFEs
  4. 4.4Stock option and phantom share plans
  5. 4.5Taxation of options in Spain
  6. 4.6Liquidation waterfall
  7. 4.7Dilution scenarios
  8. 4.8Cap table management tools
  9. 4.9Common errors and how to avoid them
  10. 4.10Laboratory: waterfall model in Excel
  1. 5.1Professionalising the board
  2. 5.2Appointing independent directors
  3. 5.3Audit and remuneration committees
  4. 5.4Reporting to investors
  5. 5.5Managing conflicts of interest
  6. 5.6Culture and founders
  7. 5.7Start-up regulatory compliance
  8. 5.8Intellectual property and its protection
  9. 5.9Managing key talent
  10. 5.10Case study: board restructuring after a Series B
  1. 6.1Strategic sale to a corporation
  2. 6.2Sale to a private equity fund
  3. 6.3Stock market listing and growth markets
  4. 6.4Management buy-out
  5. 6.5Secondaries and partial liquidity
  6. 6.6Preparing for the exit
  7. 6.7Valuation at exit
  8. 6.8Earn-outs and deferred payments
  9. 6.9Team retention after the sale
  10. 6.10Workshop: five-year exit plan
  1. 7.1Phases of a sale process
  2. 7.2Advisers and investment banks
  3. 7.3Data room and due diligence
  4. 7.4Letter of intent
  5. 7.5Share purchase agreement (SPA)
  6. 7.6Representations and warranties
  7. 7.7W&I insurance
  8. 7.8Merger control and foreign investment screening
  9. 7.9Post-acquisition integration
  10. 7.10Practical exercise: reviewing representations and warranties
  1. 8.1Selecting the start-up
  2. 8.2Business plan and valuation
  3. 8.3Designing the term sheet
  4. 8.4Shareholders' agreement
  5. 8.5Cap table and scenarios
  6. 8.6Governance model
  7. 8.7Exit strategy
  8. 8.8Conclusions and areas for improvement
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final project: final review with your tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original legislation and applied exercises. The working software is Carta, Ledgy, Microsoft Excel and Datasite, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: a simulated term sheet negotiation, a multi-round cap table model and analysis of exit scenarios. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.

Standards covered: Spanish Companies Act (Royal Legislative Decree 1/2010), Law 28/2022 on start-ups, Law 22/2014 on venture capital entities, Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 on prospectuses, Royal Decree 571/2023 on foreign investment, CNMV Good Governance Code, Law 35/2006 on personal income tax (stock options).

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the Spanish Companies Act, the start-up law (Law 28/2022) and the venture capital law (Law 22/2014) applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Carta, Ledgy, Microsoft Excel and Datasite, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:a complete funding round and exit plan for a start-up, with valuation, term sheet, shareholders' agreement, cap table and governance model, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Funding plan and valuation
Build the business plan and valuation of the selected start-up.
Term sheet design
Draft and negotiate the key clauses of the round's term sheet.
Shareholders' agreement
Draft a shareholders' agreement with governance and transfer clauses.
Cap table and waterfall
Model the cap table across several rounds and the liquidation waterfall in Excel.
Final project
A complete funding round and exit strategy project with governance model, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Start-up Chief Financial OfficerVenture Capital AnalystTransaction AdviserTechnology Company FounderCorporate Development ManagerVenture Capital Lawyer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with Carta, Ledgy, Microsoft Excel and Datasite, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a suitable computer and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

Diploma in Term Sheets, Governance and Exit StrategyEnrol
Scroll to Top
SEIUM – Institute of Advanced Engineering
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.