On September 22, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission” or “SEC”) Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (“OASB”) published its report summarizing policy recommendations made during the 44th Annual Small Business Forum (the “Forum”). The Forum brought members of the public and private sectors together to provide feedback relating to
Private Companies
The State of the Private Markets in 2025
Nasdaq Private Market’s State of the Private Market: 2025 report shows private company valuations beginning to recover, liquidity programs surging, and private company performance stabilizing relative to public benchmarks following two years of turbulence.
In 2024, total proceeds raised through secondary tender offers surpassed venture-backed IPO volume. Over that same period, the number of private…
Further Legislation Related to Capital Formation Passes the House of Representatives
On July 21, 2025, the House of Representatives (the “House”) passed five bills relating to capital formation, in particular affecting small entities and emerging growth companies (“EGCs”). As discussed in a previous post, these bills were reported to the House by the House Committee on Financial Services. Each bill was passed by unanimous voice…
FAQs – What US clients need to know about PISCES – a new secondary private stock market in the UK
- A key challenge for private companies is that, at early stages in their growth, there are no standardised ways for shareholders to realise their gains (e.g., where their shares have increased in value) or to
SEC Advisory Committee to Discuss Capital Challenges for Small Businesses
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee will meet on February 25, 2025 to discuss capital-raising challenges for emerging fund managers and smaller public companies the securities of which are not listed on a national securities exchange. The meeting, available via webcast on SEC.gov, will begin with an overview of…
Small Business Capital Formation Report: Crowdfunding, Reg A & Private Companies
As discussed in our prior post, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation recently issued its 2024 Annual Report.
The Report provides data on the reliance on crowdfunding and Regulation A to raise capital. Interestingly, the number of new crowdfunded offerings has remained fairly consistent with the…
Small Business Capital Formation Report: Exempt Offerings & Smaller Public Companies
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation issued its 2024 Annual Report just recently. The Office is required to deliver an annual report to Congress, to the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the U.S. Senate and the Committee on Financial Services of the U.S. House…
Founder Friendly Funding: The State of the Venture Markets
Based on data in Carta’s recently published State of the Markets report, the venture markets have experienced a slight uptick in number of deals and in dollars raised quarter-over-quarter. Companies on Carta’s platform completed 4% more deals and raised 12% more capital during the second quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter. During the…
Crowdfunding Report Shows Increasing Reliance on Regulation CF Deals & Disparities in Participation by Women & Minorities
Introduced under Title III of the JOBS Act, Regulation Crowdfunding (“Regulation CF”) was promulgated to allow startups and emerging companies to raise capital from a wider pool of investors through equity crowdfunding platforms. Regulation Crowdfunding allows non-accredited investors to invest through these platforms. Currently, a company may raise up to $5 million in a 12-month…
The SEC and Capital Formation
Not long ago, the SEC hosted the Annual Small Business Forum. The Forum provides an opportunity to consider a broad array of issues affecting private companies as well as smaller public companies seeking to raise capital and allows the public an opportunity to comment and suggest policy recommendations. In the last few years, the SEC…

