
Location
131 East Main Street, Canton, GA 30114
By Nicholas P. Flint
Who would have thought that Georgia would be a pioneer of the crowdfunding movement? Georgia was just the second state to enact a regulatory framework to allow crowdfunding under the new federal exemptions from security registration for intrastate offerings. Through this legislation, Georgia has provided a valuable tool to its businesses to raise capital from in-state investors.
The Invest Georgia Exemption (IGE) is a tool that allows Georgia businesses to raise capital by offering their securities solely to in-state investors. This relatively new law provides an avenue for Georgia-based companies to "go public" without having to go through the costly and time-consuming reporting procedures for going public on national exchanges. However, there are some limitations with the IGE – most notably, that investors can only be Georgia residents and that the amount that can be raised is capped.
The federal Securities Act of 1933 imposed strict registration requirements for companies wanting to sell their shares publicly. This, in effect, precluded smaller companies from selling their securities to the general public because the process became so expensive and time-consuming. To help such companies grow, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provided an exemption from the registration requirements for in-state businesses that offer their securities to only in-state investors – the "intrastate offering" exemption. The SEC later adopted Rules 147 and 504 to provide guidelines and limitations for businesses seeking to use this exemption.
In response to the new SEC rule, Georgia revised the IGE, giving companies more flexibility in their use of its intrastate offering framework. The amended IGE took effect in July 2017. As of this writing, only 50 companies have taken advantage of the IGE by filing with the Secretary of State to issue securities under Georgia's intrastate offering framework. It is a useful tool of which startups, small businesses, and larger, established companies in industries such as real estate, construction, health care, restaurants, and film production should be aware.
Nicholas Flint is an associate attorney with Flint, Connolly & Walker, LLP who represents domestic and international clients on a variety of corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital transactions, financing and lending arrangements, and debt and equity offerings. In addition to his transactional work, Nick routinely serves as a general business and legal advisor to his clients, counseling on matters such as corporate governance, executive compensation, regulatory compliance, and commercial contracts.