Developments in Securities Regulation, Corporate Governance, Capital Markets, M&A and Other Topics of Interest. MORE

The Dodd-Frank Act amended the Investment Advisers Act to exempt from registration advisers that only manage venture capital funds, and directed the SEC to define the term “venture capital fund.”  The SEC has adopted final rules that define the term “venture capital fund.”

Under the definition, a venture capital fund is a private fund that:

  • Invests primarily in “qualifying investments” (generally, private, operating companies that do not distribute proceeds from debt financings in exchange for the fund’s investment in the company); may invest in a “basket” of non-qualifying investments of up to 20 percent of its committed capital; and may hold certain short-term investments.
  • Is not leveraged except for a minimal amount on a short-term basis.
  • Does not offer redemption rights to its investors.
  • Represents itself to investors as pursuing a venture capital strategy.

Under a grandfathering provision, funds that began raising capital by the end of 2010 and represented themselves as pursuing a venture capital strategy would generally be considered venture capital funds. The SEC is adopting this approach because it could be difficult or impossible for advisers to conform these pre-existing funds, which generally have terms in excess of 10 years, to the new definition.

Check dodd-frank.com frequently for updates on the Dodd-Frank Act and other important securities law matters.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *