Crowdfunding

History of Crowdfunding

The Internet has become an inexpensive and easy way for individuals and businesses to raise money for their activities. In 2012, Congress passed the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act, which directed the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to create rules exempting Crowdfunding from the securities registration laws. Part of this legislation included the CROWDFUND Act, which makes significant changes in federal and state securities laws.

The CROWDFUND Act allows entrepreneurs to raise capital by offering to sell interests in their businesses over the Internet. Under the CROWDFUND Act, a small business is allowed to raise $1 million in a 12-month period by selling its securities to investors without registering that offering with federal or state securities regulators. However, the Act places limitations on how and to whom a small business can sell its securities. The Act directed the Securities and Exchange Commission to adopt rules within 270 days to implement a new exemption to allow securities sales through crowdfunding. Once implemented, the rules remove restrictions on start-up companies seeking investors over the Internet.

Investors should be on the lookout for unscrupulous issuers and intermediaries who attempt to engage in Crowdfunding outside the rules or misuse Crowdfunding to steal from investors through false and misleading representations.

What is Crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is an online money-raising strategy that began as a way for the public to donate small amounts of money, often through social networking websites, to help artists, musicians, filmmakers and other creative people finance their projects.

The concept has been promoted as a way of assisting small businesses and start-ups looking for investment capital to help get their business ventures off the ground. Traditionally, investment opportunities are offered by professionals, such as broker-dealer firms and investment advisers, who must recommend investments that are based on their clients' investment objectives and levels of sophistication.

Through Crowdfunding, individuals are able to invest in entrepreneurial start-ups through an intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or a "funding portal." A funding portal is a website, also called a "platform," that advertises the investment opportunities and facilitates the payment from the investor to the issuer. Some portals advertise a variety of investment opportunities on one website, allowing investors to select one or more projects. By law, "funding portals" are not allowed to provide investment advice.

What is a funding portal?

A funding portal is a website, also called a "platform," that advertises the investment opportunities and facilitates the payment from the investor to the issuer. Some portals advertise a variety of investment opportunities on one website, allowing the investor to select one or more projects in which to invest.

Be extremely cautious

  • All investments have risk, but small business investments have even greater risk than normal. About 50 percent of all small businesses fail within the first five years.
  • Issuers using funding portals to raise money may be inexperienced. Their track records may be unproven, unsubstantiated or outright fraudulent.
  • The information about the investment is limited to what is provided through the funding portal. Investors may need to rely on their own research to determine the issuer's track record.
  • Investors may have limited legal ability to take action against the issuer should the investment not perform as represented. Due to limited regulatory oversight over these offerings, investors may be left on their own to pursue costly private lawsuits when things go wrong.
  • Crowdfunding investments are mostly illiquid and investors must be prepared to hold their investments indefinitely. It also may be difficult or impossible to resell these securities due to the lack of a secondary market.
  • Funding portals must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), belong to a self-regulating organization (SRO), and comply with other rules the SEC may issue.
  • Crowdfunding portals claiming an accreditation or "seal of approval" from a standards program or board may not be legitimate.

Contact the Division with questions or concerns - 801-530-6600