“Direct-to-consumer” offerings enable companies to raise capital directly from their customers, with or without the use of underwriters or other financial intermediaries. Direct-to-consumer offerings have garnered attention recently given the ability to conduct offerings using a “crowdfunded” approach; however, companies have conducted direct-to-consumer offerings for years. With the amendments to Regulation A (commonly referred to as “Regulation A+”) and the adoption of Regulation Crowdfunding by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), companies have now become more acutely focused on broadening their investor base by soliciting interest in offerings of their securities from their customers. In this alert, we discuss the history of direct-toconsumer offerings, current approaches, the applicable SEC requirements, and considerations for companies undertaking such offerings.

A Brief History -

Direct-to-consumer offerings are not a novel financing method. Companies have undertaken direct-to-consumer offerings for years and in both registered and unregistered formats.