Eshares says APAC, MEA startup equity grant sizes rise 39% from 2022 to H1 2026

Eshares published its 2026 APAC & MEA startup compensation analysis, flagging a hiring rebound across private companies on Carta. Hire-to-departure ratio rose to 2.5 in H1 2026, nearly double the 1.26 low in 2024. Median initial equity grant size climbed 39% from 2022 levels, reversing declines seen from 2022 to 2024. Exercise rate of in-the-money vested options recovered to 43% in H1 2026 from 27.4% in 2024, near the 49.1% high in 2022. Later-stage APAC & MEA startups showed larger median headcount at Series C+ at 119.5 employees versus 43 in the U.S. Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Eshares Inc published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 13, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. (C)