By: Pat Gouhin, Chief Executive Officer

One of the fundamentals pillars of the Angel Capital Association is protecting and advocating for the rights of angel investors and the entrepreneurs they support. 

Join ACA on Wednesday, September 9, for a special two-part webinar to join subject matter experts from Assure, Carney Badley Spellman, and GrayRobinson as they discuss the current legislative environment as it relates to pending legislation on beneficial ownership and blue sky fees. 

By: Pat Gouhin, Chief Executive Officer

The Angel Capital Association and the broader angel investor community were represented during the recent committee meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission to discuss vital issues that impact capital funding.  The SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee met virtually on Tuesday, August 4 to discuss how to open the doors to US capital markets so that more Americans could participate as investors and entrepreneurs.  The angel perspective was represented by ACA member and former Chair, Catherine Mott, BlueTree Allied Angels, who sits on the advisory committee. 

By: Chris McCannell, Senior Government Affairs Consultant at GrayRobinson

GrayRobinson has created a side-by-side comparison of what is included in the Senate Republican introduced HEALS Act versus the House passed HEROES Act for easier understanding of what is included in each. 

By: Emily Angold, ACA Marketing Manager

The Angel Capital Association was honored to have Martha Miller of the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) participate in ACA 2020 – The Summit of Angel Investing.

By: Gwendolyn Jaramillo, Partner at Foley Hoag LLP and Anna Annino, Associate at Foley Hoag LLP

Editor’s Note – ACA extends a huge thank you to ACA Gold Partner, Foley Hoag LLP for creating this timely article to educate the angel community on the recent changes related to the expansion of the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).  Thank you for your work on behalf of angels and the startup ecosystem!

On February 13, 2020, the final regulations went into effect which implement the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA) and expand the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The new rules will have a significant impact on the angel investing community, especially for investments in certain industries as described further below. 

By: Pat Gouhin, Chief Executive Officer

The Paycheck Protection Program under the recently passed CARES Act provides forgivable loans for businesses with less than 500 employees, but included a huge hurdle for many startups, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) “Affiliation Rules”. 

By: Pat Gouhin, Chief Executive Officer

As part of America’s startup community, ACA was among many organizations that responded this weekend to address an issue of concern regarding a needed clarification that otherwise excludes small businesses with equity investors from the 7(a) loan program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  

By: Pat Gouhin, Chief Executive Officer

The U.S. House of Representative has just passed the historic $2.2 trillion dollar COVID-19 emergency relief bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to speed recovery across the U.S. economy.  These funds will be distributed to individuals, businesses and states in response to the coronavirus pandemic under H.R. 748. 

By: Pat Gouhin, Chief Executive Officer

As the devastation of COVID-19 continues to leave small businesses and non-profit organizations in its wake, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Collins, and the Rubio-Collins Small Business Recovery Plan task force have been working around the clock to develop a non-partisan package to protect organizations.  The goal of the bill is to empower current infrastructure at the Small Business Administration for the Keeping Workers Paid and Employed Act.  Senators Rubio and Collins are calling for banks and credit unions to scale up their processes to meet the extraordinary needs we are currently facing. 

By: Greg Mesack, Partner at GrayRobinson

The Angel Capital Association (ACA) is constantly advocating on behalf of its members in Washington, DC.  While ACA’s members are supporting startups and entrepreneurs, your association is working to ensure that the government does not create roadblocks to your mission.