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Yes, you are bound by Maltese taxes and its legal system. It's EU, though, so it's not that different than the UK or Germany, for example. Companies can't pro

Yes, you are bound by Maltese taxes and its legal system. It's EU, though, so it's not that different than the UK or Germany, for example. Companies can't promote the opportunity -- and that's a key point covered in the slides. OpenStarts, like Crunchbase, lists all sorts of companies but for those that are Malta public LLC's, you can inquire and solicit a prospectus. So the user is asking the company; the company never promotes. Investment may be made by anyone, regardless of nationality. If they can invest in SAP, for example, they can also invest there.

ig1 15y ago
Germany and the UK have hugely different tax and legal systems, many startups from across Europe incorporate in London due to the fact that London is much more business friendly. Won't OpenStarts itself be counted as a form of promotion ? - most hedge fund websites block people from outside their home country so they don't get prosecuted for offering an investment opportunity in countries where they're not licensed. Your building this directory for the sole purpose of helping companies get funded, that's probably enough for you to be classified as a financial promotion.
- david927 15y ago
  Different, yes, but I guess we have different definitions of "hugely different". I thought your question was, "Would incorporation in Malta preclude an acquisition later?" And I can't see, if it is EU, how it would preclude one. OpenStarts is many things. It's a Crunchbase listing of startups worldwide, but also a listing of ideas, a place where co-founders can meet and more. We'll play down the investment connection to whatever level is necessary, upon launch. It seems to me that if I incorporated in the same way and got listed in Crunchbase, then I don't see how that could be construed as promotion of a subscription. These are great questions and I'm still investigating the answers. For example, can we show the public information of the trades of these public companies? It seems like that would be a no-brainer, but it's not. Would you be willing to be an advisor for occasional questions? Your background is a great match.
  - japhyr 15y ago
    Sounds like a good time to consult a pretty knowledgeable lawyer.

ig1 15y ago

Germany and the UK have hugely different tax and legal systems, many startups from across Europe incorporate in London due to the fact that London is much more business friendly. Won't OpenStarts itself be counted as a form of promotion ? - most hedge fund websites block people from outside their home country so they don't get prosecuted for offering an investment opportunity in countries where they're not licensed. Your building this directory for the sole purpose of helping companies get funded, that's probably enough for you to be classified as a financial promotion.

david927 15y ago
Different, yes, but I guess we have different definitions of "hugely different". I thought your question was, "Would incorporation in Malta preclude an acquisition later?" And I can't see, if it is EU, how it would preclude one. OpenStarts is many things. It's a Crunchbase listing of startups worldwide, but also a listing of ideas, a place where co-founders can meet and more. We'll play down the investment connection to whatever level is necessary, upon launch. It seems to me that if I incorporated in the same way and got listed in Crunchbase, then I don't see how that could be construed as promotion of a subscription. These are great questions and I'm still investigating the answers. For example, can we show the public information of the trades of these public companies? It seems like that would be a no-brainer, but it's not. Would you be willing to be an advisor for occasional questions? Your background is a great match.
- japhyr 15y ago
  Sounds like a good time to consult a pretty knowledgeable lawyer.