The first investment crowdfunding project in Texas is now open to investors.
San Antonio-based technology start-up MassVenture, Texas’ first approved investment crowdfunding portal, launched the state’s first ever Texas investment crowdfunding project. Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, this project will allow any Texan to invest in a multi-million dollar real estate project with as little as $500.00.
The Cedar Hill, Texas real estate investment on MassVenture serves as the first publicly-issued investment crowdfunding project in the state. It will provide for construction of a senior living campus and is designed to meet a growing demographic with an under-served need in a community that currently has more than 340,000 residents living within the primary service area.
Amir Mirabi, VP of Business Development for MassVenture and Governor Perry’s former head of Small Business, predicted a strong marketplace for real estate crowdfunding in Texas and across the nation:
“In the crowdfunding market, real estate investment looks to be one of the top sectors for growth and returns. Texans love to help one another, and so do we. As we say, It’s Your State, Own It.”
With the posting of this project, MassVenture becomes the first state-approved crowdfunding portal to list a project. Investors who sign up for free on the portal can view the offering for a state-mandated 21-day pre-funding period before the actual crowdfunding campaign commences. Investors can ask the equity-offering issuer questions regarding the project, the property, the principals or any other matters in advance of investing.
Nathan Roach, MassVenture co-founder and CEO, added:
“Crowdfunding is a great tool for quickly mobilizing interest and investment into Texas-based projects, and the transparency and wisdom of the crowd is a great way for Texans to collectively pool their resources and see a project through to fruition. We see real estate crowdfunding as a great community and economic development tool. What better way to Invest in Texas than to truly invest in Texas?”
MassVenture’s principals, spanning legal, technological, finance and economic development backgrounds, helped craft and advocate the newly enacted state crowdfunding rules that came into effect in November of 2014, making Texas the 13th state in the nation to have such rules.
Investment crowdfunding works similarly to rewards and donations-based crowdfunding, but instead of products, consumers get to purchase ownership in companies and/or their projects, with the prospect of considerable returns. The new state-based crowdfunding rules are unique in that they also open up investment to a new class of investors – non-accredited investors with a net worth of less than $1 million and income of less than $200,00 per year – who traditionally have been left out of early stage venture funding under current federal regulations.
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