About

The Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation is an independent office established by Congress to advance the interests of small businesses, from startups to small public companies, and their investors at the SEC and in the capital markets. Through outreach and education, the office works to identify and address capital–raising issues, with a focus on the unique challenges faced by women-owned, minority-owned, rural, and natural disaster area small businesses and their investors.

The office approaches its advocacy mission by:

  • Working with small businesses and their investors to understand their capital formation issues through education and outreach
  • Analyzing the potential impact of proposed SEC and self-regulatory organizations (SROs) rules and regulations likely to significantly affect small businesses and their investors
  • Helping small businesses and their investors resolve issues with the SEC and SROs by recommending policy changes to Congress and the Commission

View our Office flyer

Staff Report

FY 2025 OASB Staff Report Cover

This Staff Report presents data across three company lifecycle stages to provide a fulsome picture of what is happening in the small business marketplace and highlights the Office’s work over the last year. The Office hopes that this Staff Report will help small businesses, investors, and all who support them to understand how capital is being raised and invested, and by whom.

Resources for Small Businesses

capital raising education photo

Explore SEC resources to help equip small businesses  — from startup to small cap — and their investors with the tools needed to navigate capital raising.

Past Small Business Events

Find recordings and other information from previous small business events.

Reports and Publications

Check out the office's annual reports and other research on small business capital formation.

Small Business Forum

The office hosts the SEC’s annual Small Business Forum where members of the public and private sectors gather to provide feedback to improve capital-raising policy.