Accelerated vesting

Accelerated vesting is a form of vesting that takes place at a faster rate than the initial vesting schedule in a company's stock option plan. This allows the option holder to receive the monetary benefit from the option much sooner (for example "half of all remaining unvested stock options will vest upon a Change of Control (see definition)". Typically Accelerated Vesting applies in Change of Control situations (such as when a company is acquired or goes public.)