Ryan Feit

Today marked a major turning point for the private capital markets in America. While most of the country is squarely focused on the election, the SEC quietly passed dramatic improvements to securities laws for startups, small businesses and investors everywhere.

When Jet.com founder Mark Lore decided he wanted to take on e-commerce giant Amazon, he knew he would need to take a non-traditional approach. So Mark decided to use an atypical form of crowdfunding to get the word out as broadly as possible. The Jet.com team creatively launched a program called Jet Insiders, offering 200,000 shares of Jet.com to those who referred the most people to signup. The program was a huge success for Jet.com as well as for the most active referrers. Jet.com was… Show more

When Jet.com founder Mark Lore decided he wanted to take on e-commerce giant Amazon, he knew he would need to take a non-traditional approach. So Mark decided to use an atypical form of crowdfunding to get the word out as broadly as possible. The Jet.com team creatively launched a program called Jet Insiders, offering 200,000 shares of Jet.com to those who referred the most people to signup. The program was a huge success for Jet.com as well as for the most active referrers. Jet.com was able to acquire 350,000 users ahead of even launching, and the top referrers just became millionaires from simply supporting the company early on. Show less

On May 16, 2016 Title III of the JOBS Act kicked-in and paved the way for startups and small businesses to raise up to $1 million through small investments from lots of people. It effectively legalized Kickstarter with equity. As with Kickstarter, a well thought out communications and advertising plan will likely dictate the success of your equity crowdfunding campaign. But unlike Kickstarter, equity crowdfunding is regulated so there are very different (and oftentimes confusing) rules of… Show more

On May 16, 2016 Title III of the JOBS Act kicked-in and paved the way for startups and small businesses to raise up to $1 million through small investments from lots of people. It effectively legalized Kickstarter with equity. As with Kickstarter, a well thought out communications and advertising plan will likely dictate the success of your equity crowdfunding campaign. But unlike Kickstarter, equity crowdfunding is regulated so there are very different (and oftentimes confusing) rules of engagement. Not to worry- you can use these 10 Golden Rules below to help guide you as you plan out your equity crowdfunding campaign. Show less

Ryan Feit, CEO of equity crowdfunding platform Seedinvest, has issued a letter about the new Title III of the JOBS Act rules, which just went into effect on Monday. Under the new rules, the general public may now invest in capital raising by start-up companies through crowdfunding.

For most people, digesting the 686 pages of the final Title III rules over the weekend would be some sort of Tartarus-like punishment. Yet for me, after 3 ½ years of waiting, it was the equivalent of unwrapping a present, with each sentence laying out the foundation for a brand new industry. It was clear to me while I sat in the third row during the SEC hearing on Friday that some important concessions had been made, but a lot of questions still remained unanswered, until now.

Title IV of the 2012 JOBS Act kicked in today. Now, the fastest growing private companies in America can conduct Mini-IPOs and raise up to $50 million from anyone. Historically, investing in startups and small businesses was reserved for just accredited investors, or just the wealthiest 2 percent of America. Now, after three years of anticipation, investing in pre-IPO companies will be opened up to the other 98 percent.

The recent passage of Title II of the JOBS Act removed the 80-year ban on general solicitation for private companies and opened up a number of powerful, new fundraising channels for startups. However, despite these historic changes, very few entrepreneurs truly understand the new options for raising capital online. The decision of raising capital publicly versus privately ultimately depends on your specific company's situation, but the outline below should help you choose the right path.

Founders typically establish their high-growth startups as C-corporations under the assumption that venture capitalists will eventually require them to convert into a corporation in order to receive VC funding. Other entrepreneurs found their companies as LLCs and then convert into corporations ahead of raising institutional capital. Very few startups remain LLCs all the way through to an exit. This is an all-too-common mistake that can cost owners up to 30% of the ultimate after-tax proceeds… Show more

Founders typically establish their high-growth startups as C-corporations under the assumption that venture capitalists will eventually require them to convert into a corporation in order to receive VC funding. Other entrepreneurs found their companies as LLCs and then convert into corporations ahead of raising institutional capital. Very few startups remain LLCs all the way through to an exit. This is an all-too-common mistake that can cost owners up to 30% of the ultimate after-tax proceeds from an exit. Show less

The robots are coming and they want your job. Savioke recently developed a three-foot tall SaviOne robot that replaces the human delivery of snacks and amenities to your hotel room. The robotic butler can navigate your room, make deliveries and even ride the elevator — all without sleeping or going to the bathroom. In addition, robots don’t quit their jobs, whereas the hotel industry, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, experiences staff turnover of around 50% in… Show more

The robots are coming and they want your job. Savioke recently developed a three-foot tall SaviOne robot that replaces the human delivery of snacks and amenities to your hotel room. The robotic butler can navigate your room, make deliveries and even ride the elevator — all without sleeping or going to the bathroom. In addition, robots don’t quit their jobs, whereas the hotel industry, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, experiences staff turnover of around 50% in non-management staff. Show less

As Alibaba Group goes public later this month in an offering that could value the company at about $160 billion, its astonishing valuation highlights the evolving importance of the private markets. Much more value is now being captured by private investors versus public investors than in previous decades – a trend largely driven by the fact that more companies are staying private longer.