On Monday, one of the first Regulation A+ deals will successfully close.
Elio Motors says it’s raised about $16 million so far on StartEngine.com. Thousands, probably tens of thousands, of investors have participated.
Elio had hoped to raise up to $25 million in the offering, which ends February 1. But it’s not bad for one of the first deals ever.
For those of you who missed my initial coverage of Elio back in October, here’s a summary. Elio is building a three-wheeled vehicle designed to get 84 mpg and cost $6,800. Ambitious, I know. Here’s a picture:
Note for new readers: Regulation A+ fundraises have been referred to as an “IPO-lite” or a “mini-IPO.” They don’t require the same level of paperwork and auditing that a true IPO does. So the cost of capital is lower, the amount raised is (typically) lower and ongoing reporting costs aren’t as bad as a full-blown public offering of stock. See previous coverage of Reg A+ here.
More Funding Required
I didn’t invest in Elio. As much as I like the company’s vision of a high-mpg commuter vehicle… I couldn’t do it.
Here’s part of what stopped me. Paul Elio himself admitted last year that the young company needs to raise roughly $240 million to complete that vision.
So why would it bother raising a measly $16 million in a new type of security offering? From thousands of investors?
I was puzzled by this at first. It’s not enough cash. It could, I suppose, try to get enough accomplished with the $16 million to bring in new private equity or VC money. Possible, but doesn’t seem likely.
Or… it could be betting on a government-backed loan. And that’s the most likely case.
Government-backed loans to “green” auto companies is nothing new. Tesla famously took $465 million from the feds in order to kick-start its electric sports car. For Tesla, the program worked like a charm.
No Comments