Employee Contracts
All individuals engaged by AxiForge Holdings Ltd — employees, contractors, and advisors — operate under NDA and IP assignment agreements governed by English law, in place from day one.
What is it?
Employment and contractor agreements define the working relationship, protect company IP, and establish enforceable obligations around confidentiality and non-competition. Every person with access to the company's technology, clients, or strategy is bound by a formal agreement before they begin.
Why it matters
- Prevents IP leakage to competitors or former employees
- Protects confidential technology and trade secrets
- Establishes enforceable non-compete obligations
- Required for SEIS/EIS eligibility and due diligence
- Protects the company from employment tribunal claims
- Builds a structured, investable organisation from day one
This document describes the standard terms applied across all engagements by AxiForge Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries — employees, contractors, and advisors. Every individual gaining access to the group's operations signs an agreement appropriate to their role before commencing work.
For investors, employment contracts confirm that the company protects its assets against IP leakage, competitive activity, and legal claims from former collaborators — a standard expectation in institutional due diligence.
Employment Contracts
Applied to full-time and part-time employees. Covers salary, role, working hours, responsibilities, notice periods, and ESOP participation rights post-seed close.
Contractor Agreements
Applied to independent specialists and external firms engaged on defined projects. NDA and IP assignment clauses are integral components of every contractor agreement — not separate documents.
Advisor Agreements
Applied to strategic and technical advisors, typically with compensation in the form of ESOP phantom equity or a fixed honorarium. Defines scope of engagement, time commitment, and confidentiality obligations.
All AxiForge group agreements include the following protective clauses as standard:
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
- Obligation to maintain confidentiality of all company proprietary information
- Scope: product architecture, financial data, client lists, investor terms, production processes
- Duration: indefinite for trade secrets; 5 years post-engagement for all other confidential information
- Governing law: England and Wales
IP Assignment Clause
- All IP created in connection with AxiForge is automatically and irrevocably assigned to the company
- Covers: source code, technical designs, algorithms, documentation, marketing materials
- Effective from the date the engagement agreement is signed
- Survives termination of employment or engagement
Non-Compete Clause
- Prohibition on engaging in activities directly competitive with AxiForge
- Duration: 12 months from the date of termination
- Geographic scope: United Kingdom and European Union
- Functional scope: autonomous production systems, industrial edge AI, machine monitoring
Non-Solicitation Clause
- Prohibition on soliciting employees, contractors, or clients of AxiForge
- Duration: 12 months from the date of termination
Every employment contract specifies the following terms in line with UK employment law:
- Employment contracts: governed by the laws of England and Wales under the UK Employment Rights Act 1996
- Contractor agreements: governed by the laws of England and Wales
- Advisor agreements: governed by the laws of England and Wales
- Poland (AxiForge Manufacturing PL): local employment law applies for Polish regulatory obligations; IP and NDA clauses governed by English law
AxiForge maintains an internal register of all active engagements:
- Date of signing and parties to each agreement
- Agreement type — employee, contractor, or advisor
- NDA and IP assignment clause status
- Expiry or termination date
- Active post-termination obligations — non-compete and non-solicitation periods
Investor Perspective
Tight employment and contractor agreements are the invisible but critical layer protecting company assets. Investors verify that key employees and contractors are bound by NDA and IP assignment — because these are the people with access to the technology being funded. The absence of these clauses is one of the most common reasons a transaction is rejected at due diligence. AxiForge has standard protective clauses across all engagements from day one.