Yeah that's really it. Still an improvement on the $1 million required for an EB-5 (although that gives you a green card).
It feels like there could be some workarounds here. They explicitly say the money can't be from a loan, so that idea is out.
But I've read of other techies getting an E2 for an investment just in the mid 5 figures range, so it mightn't need to go into the 6 figure range after all. Especially with a profitable software business where the profit margins are extremely high and the running costs are extremely low, I think they would lower the threshold.
No investor money will do as long as you have > 50%. But it's only a valid option if you have already started your company in your home country and have had some funding and incorporated your company in the US.
If you move to the US and get funding from a US VC / Angle then I think it gets tricky because it says : At least 50% of the investors must be nationals of the treaty country.
It feels like there could be some workarounds here. They explicitly say the money can't be from a loan, so that idea is out.
But I've read of other techies getting an E2 for an investment just in the mid 5 figures range, so it mightn't need to go into the 6 figure range after all. Especially with a profitable software business where the profit margins are extremely high and the running costs are extremely low, I think they would lower the threshold.