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Irwin Stein

is a Wall Street trained securities attorney who has helped many companies, large and small raise capital for over 4 decades. He is a thought leader in the crowdfunding industry and serves as the legal counsel for PatentAngels.com. Irwin enjoys working with start-ups and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their financial and strategic goals. He was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Golden Gate University in San Francisco teaching Economics and Finance. Irwin provides pre-investment investigations to professional investors like VC firms and Angel Investor groups and to intermediaries including broker/dealers and family offices.

Recent Articles by Irwin Stein

A Practical Guide to Startup Funding

What if your startup is a university startup based on university developed and patented technology? The goal is not only to create a domestic corporation, but also to create a local corporation that leverages university technology. Moving to China isn’t an option for a university startup, regardless of the technology and likelihood of attracting funding from venture capitalists. Fortunately it is not as difficult to find investors as you may think. Equity crowdfunding is on the path to surpass venture capital as the preferred way for startups and small businesses to raise capital. In a nutshell, equity crowdfunding is the sale of equity (or debt) in your business directly to investors using an online platform instead of a stock brokerage firm.

Turning Your Patent into a Business: A Practical Guide to Equity Crowdfunding

Once your patent has been awarded you may still need additional capital to turn that patent into a business. Fortunately it is not as difficult to find investors as you may think. Equity crowdfunding is on the path to surpass venture capital as the preferred way for start-ups and small businesses to raise capital. In a nutshell, equity crowdfunding is the sale of equity (or debt) in your business directly to investors using an online platform instead of a stock brokerage firm.  It is also less expensive than hiring one. Although direct to investor funding over the internet has been around since the late 1990s, it came of age with the JOBS Act in 2012.