How to get sued…
If you work with us, you will hear it many times that we strongly advise against financial projections … as they can get you in trouble. However, companies always seem to want to include projections that start from zero, and grow exponentially. This type of financial projection that is untethered to reality is a primary […]
Do you really have permission to use those logos?
The Theranos jury’s fraud convictions of Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO and founder of the now defunct Theranos, Inc., should give pause to startups seeking to build their reputation by touting their relationships with other companies. In the press to find financing, it can be tempting to use the logos of other companies, especially those that […]
Trolls and touts
Well, I thought I’d better blog something before people think we’ve vanished. We’ve just been too busy. But recently something happened that tied together two previous blog posts. Trolls have become an increasing problem in the online space. The whole point of the crowdfunding regs is to give voice to the crowd, to enable retail […]
The SEC files its first enforcement action for Reg CF
The SEC today decided to make a statement against companies considering using Regulation CF for fraudulent offerings, and funding portals that facilitate the fraud. A copy of the complaint can be found here, https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2021-182. On September 20, 2021, the SEC filed in federal court a complaint against sponsors of a marijuana real estate venture, and […]
Rule 145: An issue for crowdfunding company exits
Startup investors all hope for a great “exit.” Most startups, of course, will never get to that point, but for the successful ones, the principal ways that investors get repaid for their faith in a high-growth early stage company is an eventual IPO, hopefully at a price much higher than the price they paid, or […]
Reg A and Reg CF issuers: time to count your shareholders!
Reg A and Reg CF have been around for a few years now and we are finding that some of our clients, especially those that have made multiple offerings, are getting to the point where they need to consider the implications of Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act, which requires companies to become registered […]
How a member of the crowd made crowdfunding easier
A while back, one of our favorite start-up clients called me and asked me to speak to a potential investor. Paul Efron, a resident of Arizona, wanted to invest in the company’s Regulation A offering. However, when he went onto the company’s website to invest, his subscription was rejected. The company was accepting subscriptions from […]
Effective Date of the Amendments to Reg CF and Reg A
The amendments to Reg CF, Reg A, and other rules relating to capital formation utilizing exempt offerings have finally been published in the Federal Register, with an effective date of March 15, 2021. See, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/14/2020-24749/facilit….
Warrant issuers, keep your offering statement evergreen
An increasing number of issuers have been using Regulation A to make continuous offerings of units, consisting of a combination of equity, often common stock, and warrants to purchase the same equity at a future date. Under the Securities Act, the units, the shares of stock, the warrants and the shares of stock issuable upon […]
Foreign issuers using Reg A and Reg CF
For some reason, this issue has been coming up a lot lately. Our usual response to the question “Can non-US issuers make a Reg A or Reg CF offering?” is to point to the rules: Rule 251(b)(1) says Reg A can only be used by “an entity organized under the laws of the United States […]