Venture Capital & Emerging Companies

On December 4, 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (the “FAST Act”) was signed into law by President Obama.

2016 promises to be another very good year to invest in start-ups because of the extension of significant tax breaks for investors who invest in early stage companies.

What is my company worth? What should I tell the investors my valuation is for the next round of financing?

The way most businesses are initially funded is by the three Fs. That is, by "friends, family, and fools." After all, who else would provide the initial seed capital to start a new enterprise? But self-funding (or relying on friends and families) will only take you so far in building out your new business.

Non-compete agreements are a common part of the business world these days.

You have raised your friends and family/angel round, built out the beta of your product and have a few early paying customers. Now it is time to raise the money you need to grow from institutional investors. How do you get their attention when so many companies are in the same boat as you?

MintzTech Innovator Profiles - YieldStreet & ChyronHego

From the days of divesting assets from companies doing business in apartheid South Africa and withholding investments to protest big tobacco, values-based investing has come a long way. And it’s no longer just about hippie companies like Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which pioneered the concept of corporate social responsibility. With impact investing, investors are now seeking to use the markets to solve the toughest challenges of our time, such as financial inclusion, climate change, access to health care, and affordable housing. So what exactly is impact investing?

Welcome to the second issue of MintzTech Connect — our bi-monthly newsletter on “all things technology” in the legal and business world, from our perspective, of course. This issue contains some key industry news, profiles on two exciting companies, an article about the ever growing “impact investing” space, and an amazing CleanWeb Report on which we collaborated with other industry participants. Also, don’t miss the list of events taking place in key start-up hubs around the country.

MintzTech Industry Updates - Regulation Crowdfunding & The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act

Mintz was excited to see its client, Current Motor, win the second annual Michigan MobiPrize. Presented by NextEnergy and the University of Michigan’s Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility Research and Transformation (SMART), the award honors Michigan-based mobility entrepreneurs who are developing and commercializing innovative mobility solutions in Michigan.

Mintz is very excited to announce the launch of “The State of the Cleanweb“ report, which we are proud to support. Within, resources and energy are referred to as “software’s next meal” — and you’ll want to know why! The report was produced by SuperCollider with data powered by CB Insights, and is also supported by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Three and a half years after the passage of the JOBS Act, the SEC on October 30, 2015 adopted final rules for Title III of that Act, more popularly known as equity crowdfunding and dubbed by the SEC as “Regulation Crowdfunding” (we refer to it as “Reg. CRWD”).

We are thrilled to provide you with the first issue of MintzTech Connect, a bi-monthly newsletter on “all things technology” in the legal and business world, from our perspective, of course. We intend MintzTech Connect to be a periodic, easily digestible update for you to hear what we in the Technology Practice at Mintz are doing and seeing in the industry. Each issue will contain a profile of a company that is making headlines in the technology world in any number of ways, which may include its novel technology, its approach to a particular issue, and itsimpact on the world of sustainability, clean technology, or even biotechnology. Our philosophy is that “every company is a technology company” in one way or another and technology pervades our lives in many interesting and unique ways — MintzTech Connect will aim to highlight and identify many of those ways. In addition, each issue will provide you with important updates in the industry from a legal and/or regulatory perspective, or will identify areas in which change may be forthcoming. In this highly regulated industry it is important to keep abreast of the ever-changing landscape, and we will help you do just that. Finally, each issue will contain an abbreviated list of upcoming events taking place in the major technology hubs around the country so that you can pick and choose where to focus your energy in the next few months. We are excited to share our inaugural issue with you and sincerely hope you enjoy it and share it with friends and colleagues. Stay tuned for more from us in the coming months!