Venture Capital & Emerging Companies

This month we turn the spotlight on Conduce, our client in beautiful Carpinteria, California, that is transforming the way companies see and understand all of their data to make better decisions. Conduce gives leaders a single pane of glass where they can see internal and external data from any source, and explore it any way they want — any data from any source in a single intuitive interface. It puts people in the middle of their data.

As the Northeast begins (hopefully) to thaw out and we head into an early spring (so said the Groundhog), we are excited to deliver our new issue of MintzTech Connect — our bimonthly newsletter on “all things technology” in the legal and business world, from our perspective, of course.

There’s a lot going on in the world of drone or unmanned aerial system (UAS) regulation in the United States. Companies from start-ups to large defense contractors are pursuing commercial opportunities to develop drones and drone technology. At Mintz we are working with companies engaged in UAS manufacturing, aerial survey, and commercial cinematography to help them navigate the complex of regulations.

As we ring in the new year, we thought we would remind everyone why the importance of a comprehensive trademark search for a new company name and for a new trademark cannot be overstated:

Mintz is proud to be one of the exclusive legal sponsors of the 2016 MIT 100K Competition providing mentorship to semi-finalists and support for the many events during the course of the competition.

So it may seem like a ridiculous question. Who can own a thought? But it is a bit more difficult to answer this question from a legal perspective than you may think.

Start-ups can use all the sound advice they can get, especially if they can get it for free. One source of “free” advice is an advisory board made up of people who can add value to your business.

The “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes” (PATH) Act was recently signed into law, and two provisions in particular benefit venture capital, private equity, and other investors owning or planning to purchase a corporation.

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.