Section 203(l) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), also known as the venture capital adviser exemption, provides that an investment adviser that solely advises venture capital funds is exempt from registration with the SEC under the Advisers Act. The term “venture capital fund” is not defined in the text of the Advisers Act; instead, the term is defined in SEC Rule 203(l)-1(a) as a private fund that meets certain conditions. This article looks at each of these conditions and explains what is needed to meet them. [Read more…]
Accredited Investors vs. Qualified Clients vs. Qualified Purchasers: Understanding Investor Qualifications
Private funds, such as hedge funds, private equity funds, and venture capital funds, are governed by a host of intersecting federal laws that impact who can invest in these fund, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and the Investment Company Act of 1940. This post provides prospective and existing private fund managers with a basic understanding of the primary categories of investors and why understanding these categories is essential in structuring and marketing a fund.
The Life Cycle of a Private Equity or Venture Capital Fund
Unlike most hedge funds, the investment holdings of private equity and venture capital funds typically are not liquid. Consequently, private equity and venture capital funds usually do not have any redemption rights and are organized to have a limited life cycle, often in the range of 7 to 15 years. During this life cycle, the fund manager will raise the capital for the fund, deploy that capital into investments, hold those investments, and then sell those investments and return the capital to the fund’s investors. This activity occurs over several distinct phases – the marketing period, the commitment period, and the post-commitment period. [Read more…]