A roundtable of experts sit down in Nashville, Tenn., to break down what the new
laws for equity crowdfunding mean and why they are important.
In mid-May, rules
for equity crowdfunding went into effect — more than four years after they were passed into law by the Jumpstart Our Business Startup Act in 2012 — making it possible for entrepreneurs to raise money from unaccredited investors through registered online crowdfunding portals.
In particular they have applauded the announcement that there will be no investor
caps for equity crowdfunding, other than the previously announced $ 2 million cap that a company can raise through crowdfunding each year.
The FCAA's director of securities Dean Murrison doesn't expect there will be a
market for equity crowdfunding investments since shares are not tradable and can only be sold under certain exemptions (to family, close friends and close business associates for example).
Technically, this is still a request for comment by the FACC, but it is interesting to see another Canadian jurisdiction put out a detailed (but different) set of proposed rules
for an equity crowdfunding exemption.
For example, if you
opt for equity crowdfunding you can get in trouble for taking money from non-accredited investors, so what is the platform doing to ensure it is only connecting companies with legitimately vetted backers?
Overwhelmingly, investors and entrepreneurs were pleased to see the SEC finally get a set of rules
for equity crowdfunding over the threshold.
Even bigger is the shift in how investment regulations have changed, opening the
way for equity crowdfunding, with Conkin calling them the «most dramatic» since the Great Depression.
«According to MarketWatch, the previous
high for an equity crowdfunded project in the world totalled $ 6m raised — so we have let fly a wrecking ball in that direction, to the tune of over double the amount.
Currently, both Ontario and Saskatchewan have published specific
proposals for an equity Crowdfunding framework while other members of the Canadian Securities Administrators are also looking at how securities can be sold over the internet under existing securities law.
In the United States, individual investors have become fast - growing consumers of the VC asset class since the passage of Title III (Regulation CF) and Title IV (Regulation A +) of the Jump Start our Business Startups (JOBS) Act clearing the
path for equity crowdfunding.
News: British television presenter Kevin McCloud's design - led housing development firm has broken the world
record for equity crowdfunding by securing investments in excess of # 1.9 million from members of the public via online platform Crowdcube.
The 2012 JOBS Act was supposed to open up crowdfunding to the masses but it took more than four
years for equity crowdfunding to be approved for regular investors.
Regulations are relatively
tight for equity crowdfunding with investors required to hold net assets of RMB 10 million ($ 1.55 million) or income over RMB 500,000 a year.
There will be no investor
caps for equity crowdfunding, although companies will be limited to raising NZ$ 2 million from crowdfunding each year.
Now, this is where the similarities between Equity Crowdfunding and Stock Investing end; unlike publicly traded stocks, there's no stock exchange
market for Equity Crowdfunding.
The Securities and Exchange Commission voted 3 - 1 to adopt the next generation
rules for equity crowdfunding this morning for entrepreneurs and small - business owners.
The rules
for equity crowdfunding, whereby an entrepreneur can raise money by selling a piece of his or her company for cash, changed in May.
October 18, 2012 Most Canadian startups don't know equity crowdfunding is still illegal: survey: Majority also against tougher investor protection rules
for equity crowdfunding: Christine Wong at IT Business.ca
Caveat: All of this is subject to regulatory limitations (
for equity crowdfunding, but not rewards crowdfunding) and the pending SEC rules.
For equity crowdfunding to be operational, efficient laws and regulations are needed.
For equity crowdfunding to be attractive to developers and real estate companies it will need to prove it can deliver the same results or better as EMDs at a lower cost and faster time frame.
For equity crowdfunding, it doesn't appear that the site handles closing the agreement for you and sometimes the details of a deal may not be available until after commitments are made.
We think Indiegogo can be a good option for crowdfunding projects that don't need to hit a specific funding goal to succeed,
for equity crowdfunding and for nonprofits or individuals raising money for a charitable cause.
You'll also find specialty platforms
for equity crowdfunding.
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) adopted Multilateral Instrument 45 - 108 in May, expanding exemptions
for equity crowdfunding and issuers.