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New Ventures Spotlight: <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/links.thompsonhine.mkt4194.com/els/v2/2d0vs*kvd2Fj/MEJSNm0wTVRDQkhxQ28vZXZ1Nzd4OHhtN3JTU20vNm5wcjBjcVFTV2l1RWdrQzZXT2RvQ2JFdUFRbzQ1T2hvMEVRcXNTbGRJRHg5WXp3N2x2UE9IbEVMZVJHTEtBSk1iOEpBOTJINnMxaS9sK2Q2aXd6K1Z2dz09S0/__;fg!!OdqygGz-7UHvSw!p_-c-Wz9UGjya1U9LfPsWvoaSFKkA9VYRUI9lCM7AulgbpUSnVHonHslXnlNW7ofHyJjRGkeybqNvahhvb2LLFOd3tPEiQXxlA$" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kimberly Pack</a>

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Kimberly is counsel in the Privacy &amp; Cybersecurity practice group. She brings deep in-house experience to her work with startups and high-growth companies, having led global and U.S. privacy programs at Fortune 100 and Fortune 300 companies and served as general counsel and compliance officer at a financial services startup. She understands firsthand how to balance business goals with regulatory demands, helping founders operationalize privacy and data security requirements in a way that supports rapid growth. She advises on designing scalable privacy programs, incident response planning, and technology adoption—including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and marketing/ad tech—so that startups can earn and maintain trust with customers, investors, and strategic partners. With her unique blend of enterprise and startup leadership, Kimberly equips early-stage and scaling companies with the frameworks they need to grow confidently while preparing for regulatory scrutiny and exit opportunities.

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Trust, but Verify: 506(c) Accreditation Is Now Slightly Easier

When raising capital, those seeking investment have to verify whether investors are “accredited” according to the SEC’s definition, which takes time and increases costs for entities that are trying to procure funding. However, for certain groups seeking investment, complying with the verification requirement has gotten slightly easier as a result of a no action letter released by the SEC earlier this year. <a href="https://www.thompsonhine.com/insights/trust-but-verify-506c-accreditation-is-now-slightly-easier/">Continue reading</a>.

House v. NCAA Settlement Calls Private Equity Off the Bench

For PE firms that can navigate the evolving legal landscape, structure innovative capital partnerships, and bring operating discipline to college sports, the House v. NCAA settlement brings clarity and presents a unique opportunity to shape the next era of collegiate athletics. <a href="https://www.thompsonhine.com/insights/house-v-ncaa-settlement-calls-private-equity-off-the-bench/">Read more</a>.

StartupCincy Week (Oct. 6–9, 2025) will bring together founders, investors, and innovators for four days of panels, workshops, networking, and pitch competitions highlighting Cincinnati’s growing startup ecosystem. Thompson Hine is proud to sponsor the event, and on Tuesday, October 7, our partner Lindsay Karas Stencel will lead a Lunch Pad session on “Tackling the Term Sheet,” helping founders better understand, negotiate, and structure early investment agreements. If you run a startup, are thinking about raising capital, or want to deepen your knowledge of term sheets and deal terms, this session is a must-attend. <a href="https://startupcincyweek.com/en/agenda-page">Register now</a> for StartupCincy Week and be sure to save your spot for October 7’s “Tackling the Term Sheet” session.

Thompson Hine was proud to sponsor Ohio VC Fest 2025, which brought more than 800 founders, investors, and innovators to Cleveland on September 16–17 for two days of deal-making, thought leadership, and networking. Hosted by JumpStart, the Fest highlighted the growing role of Ohio as a hub for capital, innovation, and impact, with programming that included keynotes, fireside chats, founder showcases, and curated one-on-one meetings between startups and investors. This year’s event also served as the Midwest regional host for the Startup World Cup, giving local companies the chance to advance toward a $1 million investment prize. With a strong focus on AI, healthtech, and frontier technologies, Ohio VC Fest reinforced the region’s momentum as a destination for venture activity and collaborative growth.

Cincinnati Founders Forum Networking Event – November 12

Be part of the conversation shaping Cincinnati’s startup community—an evening of networking, collaboration, and opportunity. Hosted by Thompson Hine’s New Ventures practice and Book + Street, this event brings together founders, investors, advisors, and community leaders to strengthen relationships, share ideas, and celebrate the momentum of innovation in Cincinnati. Join us on November 12 at Wenzel Distillery at 4:30 p.m. RSVP by contacting <a href="mailto:Elise.Hoffer@ThompsonHine.com?subject=Cincy Founders Forum Nov 12">Elise.Hoffer@ThompsonHine.com</a>.

Whether you’re building, funding, or supporting startups, this is your chance to:

Connect with fellow entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders

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Meet your next founder to invest in, potential investor, trusted advisor, or counsel

Discover resources available that can accelerate your growth

Build relationships that spark future collaborations

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Celebrating a Decade of Impact: Endeavor Detroit's 10-Year Anniversary

Earlier this month, Endeavor Detroit hosted the Detroit Homecoming event, marking a powerful convergence of founders, investors, and ecosystem builders under the theme “Rising Together, Elevating Detroit.” Over two days, the program combined panels, founder showcases, and the National Selection Panel (NSP) process, all timed with Endeavor Detroit’s 10-year anniversary celebrations.

Attendees heard from leading voices on topics from AI and health tech to scaling national brands, unicorn growth, and the next wave of early-stage ventures. The evening closed with a celebratory dinner commemorating a decade of Endeavor in Detroit. Thompson Hine was a proud supporter of the event as a sponsor. From the New Ventures team, <a href="https://www.thompsonhine.com/professionals/lindsay-karas-stencel/">Lindsay Karas Stencel</a>, <a href="https://www.thompsonhine.com/professionals/aisling-susan-olaoire/">Aisling O’Laoire</a>, and <a href="https://www.thompsonhine.com/professionals/daniel-burns/">Danny Burns</a> participated and engaged deeply in the programming. Their presence helped strengthen our connections with founders and innovation leaders across the region.

Industry Insights: How Much of Your Startup Will You Sell When Raising on SAFEs?

Most founders in 2025 will begin fundraising with SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity), with over 90% of angel and pre-seed rounds on Carta using this structure. While SAFEs are popular for getting money in the door quickly, the dilution impact only becomes clear at the first priced round—often months or years later. Benchmark data shows that dilution increases with capital raised and levels off around $3M, where seed investors typically take about 20% of the company. The range is wide, though: $1M could cost a founder anywhere from 6% to 16%, depending on demand. Key takeaways: avoid unnecessary dilution but prioritize business survival, pay close attention to deal terms beyond valuation, and be cautious with multi-tranche SAFEs that may overcomplicate a round. Founders should get comfortable with these dynamics and, importantly, work with experienced legal counsel before signing.

QuickLaunch: Experienced Guidance for Startups and Investors

Our QuickLaunch program is tailored to entrepreneurs, startups and investors, providing guidance on growth and funding cycles and offering cost-effective counsel on day-to-day legal matters from formation to funding to exits. Our seasoned team helps navigate the confusing waters of growth, funding, expansion and those tricky legal issues that can arise, often at fixed or budgeted pricing by using our firmwide proprietary SmartPaTH™ tool. To learn more about our tailored, value-enhancing solutions, please visit our site.

New Ventures Update – September 2025