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.
Diploma in Term Sheets, Governance and Exit Strategy — studying from New Zealand
New Zealand has a modest automotive industry, with most vehicle engineering centred on aftermarket parts, commercial vehicle body building, and the import and distribution of vehicles. Motorsport is a significant sector, with Hamilton and the Waikato region hosting a dense cluster of racing teams and engineering firms, and the Motorsport New Zealand body governing the national championships. Automotive engineers commonly work for importers, dealer networks, fleet operators and specialist fabrication businesses, and the sector also serves the country's large agricultural vehicle market.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,770 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Is automotive engineering a regulated title in New Zealand, and which bodies matter here?
The title Chartered Professional Engineer is regulated and administered by Engineering New Zealand, which sets competence standards for registration. Vehicle standards and certification in New Zealand are overseen by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so recognition by employers or Engineering New Zealand is not something SEIUM can promise.
What kinds of automotive and motorsport employers hire engineers in New Zealand?
New Zealand's automotive sector includes vehicle importers, workshops and fleet operators, motorsport teams and specialist fabrication and engineering firms, along with companies supplying parts and servicing. Roles often reward hands-on experience and clear technical reporting. A private qualification can support an application, but whether an employer values it is their decision and cannot be assumed.
How much time does a programme need, and can an employer help fund it?
Specialist courses take about 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours, all online in English with an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Choose a pace you can sustain alongside work, and check with your employer early about any funding or study leave arrangements.
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.
What you will be able to do
Understand the funding sources available to technology start-ups.
Interpret and negotiate the clauses of a term sheet.
Design balanced shareholders' agreements.
Manage capitalisation tables and dilution.
Establish corporate governance suited to growth.
Plan exit strategies.
Take part in company sale and purchase processes.
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.
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
8 modules
1.1Funding stages from pre-seed to Series C1.2Business angels, venture capital and corporate VC1.3SAFE instruments and convertible notes1.4Participating loans and ENISA1.5Public R&D funding1.6The deeptech and engineering ecosystem1.7Technical and investor due diligence1.8Timeline of a funding round1.9Investor relations1.10Case study: funding plan for a hardware start-up
2.1Pre-money and post-money valuation2.2Types of preferred shares2.3Participating and non-participating liquidation preference2.4Full-ratchet and weighted-average anti-dilution clauses2.5Pre-emptive subscription rights2.6Employee option pool2.7Conditions precedent to closing2.8Exclusivity and confidentiality2.9Current market terms2.10Workshop: comparing two real term sheets
3.1Board of directors and its composition3.2Reserved matters and vetoes3.3Information rights3.4Lock-in and non-compete clauses3.5Founder vesting and cliff3.6Good leaver and bad leaver3.7Drag-along and tag-along3.8Rights of first refusal3.9Deadlock resolution3.10Practical exercise: drafting a shareholders' agreement
4.1Building a capitalisation table4.2Effect of successive rounds4.3Conversion of notes and SAFEs4.4Stock option and phantom share plans4.5Taxation of options in Spain4.6Liquidation waterfall4.7Dilution scenarios4.8Cap table management tools4.9Common errors and how to avoid them4.10Laboratory: waterfall model in Excel
5.1Professionalising the board5.2Appointing independent directors5.3Audit and remuneration committees5.4Reporting to investors5.5Managing conflicts of interest5.6Culture and founders5.7Start-up regulatory compliance5.8Intellectual property and its protection5.9Managing key talent5.10Case study: board restructuring after a Series B
6.1Strategic sale to a corporation6.2Sale to a private equity fund6.3Stock market listing and growth markets6.4Management buy-out6.5Secondaries and partial liquidity6.6Preparing for the exit6.7Valuation at exit6.8Earn-outs and deferred payments6.9Team retention after the sale6.10Workshop: five-year exit plan
7.1Phases of a sale process7.2Advisers and investment banks7.3Data room and due diligence7.4Letter of intent7.5Share purchase agreement (SPA)7.6Representations and warranties7.7W&I insurance7.8Merger control and foreign investment screening7.9Post-acquisition integration7.10Practical exercise: reviewing representations and warranties
8.1Selecting the start-up8.2Business plan and valuation8.3Designing the term sheet8.4Shareholders' agreement8.5Cap table and scenarios8.6Governance model8.7Exit strategy8.8Conclusions and areas for improvement8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with your tutor
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).
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
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.
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.
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