Small companies can now sell shares through crowdfunding sites

Like so many entrepreneurs these days, Adam Glickman believes his company is making the world a better place. In his case, it’s doing so one funny condom at a time.

His Los Angeles company, Graphic Armor, sells condoms with custom and stock graphics printed on the latex. Tie-dyed? He’s got ’em. Leopard skin and camouflage designs too. Even “Star Wars” condoms with an image of Darth Vader and the message “I will not be your father.”

“Graphic Armor built a platform that lets anyone customize their own condom like they would a coffee mug or a T-shirt,” Glickman said. “It’s a powerful tool to break down stigmas that have surrounded condom use for decades.”

At least that’s part of the pitch that he’ll use to persuade investors to give him the cash Graphic Armor needs to pay for advertising, buy equipment and get its printing process approved for overseas sales by foreign regulators.

But the pitch isn’t aimed at private equity firms, venture capitalists or money managers. It’s aimed at, well, everyone.

Graphic Armor will be among the first companies to attempt to raise money by selling stock through a Kickstarter-esque crowdfunding campaign open to anyone who has just a few hundred bucks to invest.

New rules that allow for those campaigns took effect Monday, a development that could give small companies access to billions of dollars in capital — and expose small-time investors to serious losses.

Over the next few weeks, dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of startups like Glickman’s are expected to begin pitching investors. Most will have little, if any, revenue. Few will be profitable. And none will be required to provide a prospectus with audited financial results.

Instead, many of these small firms hope to copy what filmmakers, artists and product designers have been doing for years through Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other crowdfunding sites — connecting with fans willing to back their enthusiasm with cash.

The difference is that instead of soliciting a donation or selling a product, as companies do through those sites, Graphic Armor and other firms are selling stock.

Other companies that plan to start raising money include a social networking site to help musicians find bandmates and paying gigs, an on-demand services company that serves only the southwestern corner of New Hampshire and a tech startup focused on the medical marijuana business.

The new equity crowdfunding rules, approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission last year, are the final piece of the Jobs Act, a 2012 law aimed at making it easier for small companies to raise capital.

Other new investment rules that stem from the Jobs Act already have loosened restrictions to allow larger companies to publicly seek investments from wealthy or so-called accredited investors — those who make at least $200,000 a year or have assets, other than their home, worth at least $1 million.

The companies will have to work with firms called funding portals — the equity crowdfunding equivalents of Kickstarter. Ron Miller, chief executive of portal StartEngine Crowdfunding, said four to seven companies will start pitching investors through his portal this week.

In the next few weeks, he expects to have as many as 15 startups raising money. StartEngine is one of a handful of portals already approved by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Dozens more have applied to do the same.

The cost of preparing for a traditional initial public offering can easily run into the millions, typically more than startups in an equity crowdfunding offering are seeking to raise. Selling these shares is much cheaper and comes with fewer requirements.

Crowdfunded firms have to provide financial statements that are reviewed, but not audited, by an accountant. Several of the firms estimate that their legal and accounting costs have run from about $10,000 to $20,000. The firms also have to report to investors annually rather than quarterly.

However, the equity crowdfunding platforms come with significant limitations.

Firms can raise no more than $1 million a year, and individual investors are supposed to invest no more than a small percentage of their annual income in these new offerings.

For those making less than $100,000 a year, the cap is 5 percent of income. For those making $100,000 to $200,000, the cap is 10 percent, though experts say those caps are based on self-reported information and it won’t be hard for individuals to invest more than they should.

Any cash that investors park in these firms will be tied up for a while. Unlike traditional shares of stock, which can be bought and sold at any time, crowdfunding shares can’t be sold for at least a year.

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Small companies can now sell shares through crowdfunding sites."