Lynn Johannson, Advisor, Sustainability and ESG
January 4th, 2024
Lynn Johannson, President of E2 Management Corporation and Catalyst for THE Collaboration
In a care[...]
NEW REPORT: Small Business SOS – It’s Time to Supercharge Local Crowdfunding to Unlock Needed Capital
SBE Council | Sep 16, 2020
New Report Highlights Investment Crowdfunding’s Success, and COVID-19 Policy Opportunities for Recovery
Today, Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA) and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) released a new report detailing the growing power and prevalence of investment crowdfunding and the need for a “Main Street Recovery Co-Investment Fund.”
“We need to act quickly to stop the bleeding on Main Street,” says Sherwood Neiss, Principal at Crowdfund Capital Advisors.
“Short term band aids might slow the trauma, but we need a program that can quickly get capital to local businesses in a way that is supported by local investors. This will create a long-term win that will rebuild and sustain local economies, provide dividends to investors and achieve what Congress is trying to accomplish at the local level,” adds Neiss.
In the report, Regulation Crowdfunding by Congressional District: A Report Card, CCA and SBE Council review the progress of investment crowdfunding since 2016. The Jumpstart Our Businesses Startup Act (JOBS Act) of 2012 enacted changes that ushered in investment crowdfunding, which officially launched following the finalization of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules in 2016.
Currently, the SEC is in the process of advancing regulatory proposals that would enable issuers to raise more capital than what is allowed by current caps, and provide for other changes to make Regulation Crowdfunding more accessible and effective for small businesses and startups. In addition, in response to COVID-19, the SEC recently extended temporary rules intended to expedite the offering process for small businesses by providing conditional relief from certain requirements of Regulation Crowdfunding.
See:
NCFA Response to CSA on NI 45-110 Harmonized Securities Crowdfunding Rules
NCFA Open Letter: Government should collaborate with Fintechs
NCFA Response to the Modernizing Ontario’s Capital Markets Consultation Taskforce
FFCON20 Video: State of Equity Crowdfunding in 2020
As noted in the report, there have been no cases of fraud with investment crowdfunding.
SBE Council president & CEO Karen Kerrigan asserts that innovative solutions like a “Main Street Recovery Co-Investment Fund” are desperately needed to help the nation’s economy dig out of its deep hole, and allow local communities to survive by supporting their businesses and new startups.
A comprehensive approach needs to include a co-investment fund to help local economies recover, rebuild and reinvent themselves. This includes urban and rural areas alike, along with enabling new business creation given the massive volume of business closures that will profoundly affect local communities.
The good news is that this type of fund has been successful in the UK through its Future Fund, which means our government will not be testing a new concept. The co-investment fund injects federal dollars into businesses that have been validated by local investors on regulated platforms, and accountable under an existing federal framework. There has been no fraud since inception,” said Kerrigan.
Under the co-investment funding model, the federal government would match 100% of funds raised from communities via a securities-based crowdfunding platform (not to exceed $250,000 per business). The federal money that is received by small businesses would be paid back. CCA and SBE Council are recommending that $20 billion be allocated to the fund.
U.S. JOBS Act Equity and Debt Crowdfunding Results Since 2016:
● 3,100 stock offerings have been listed by 2600-plus companies.
● These offerings occurred in 90% of U.S. Congressional Districts (393 districts):
-95% of women-led districts had JOBS Act stock offerings
-93% of minority-led districts had JOBS Act stock offerings
-77% of districts had multiple offerings
-Nearly 50% of districts had campaigns that raised from $250,000 to $5 million
● $500,000,000 has been committed to these offerings.
● 700,000 retail investors participated in diverse offerings across the United States.
● Capital has been delivered to companies in 450-plus industries and across 850 cities.
● This capital has supported over 100,000 JOBS.
● Average amount raised per offering: $342,000.
● Since inception, the SEC and Crowdfund Capital Advisors have each concluded that there has been NO SECURITIES FRAUD in these offerings.
● Pre-Covid-19: The monthly volume of capital raised in February 2020 was $9 million. During the Covid-19 crisis, the monthly amount raised has increased dramatically.
-In August 2020, the amount of capital raised was $25 million, which represents an INCREASE of 2.8x in just 6 months. Community-focused investing is delivering significant capital to local businesses.
Continue to the full article --> here
Download the 40 page PDF --> Now
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
 |  |  |
Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter!Follow @NCFACanada  |
Related Posts
Overview of how Canada is modernizing its core payments infrastructure- Why chase U.S. financing? Conservative Canadian investors are slow to step up
- Lightspeed Partners with Uber Direct and Uber Eats
- SEC Proposes Rule Changes to Harmonize, Simplify and Improve the Exempt Offering Framework
- Daryl Hatton and Bret Conkin of FundRazr Join National Crowdfunding Association of Canada’s Ambassador Program
- Can You Make A Cash Advance Online?
Leave a Reply