“Authority” means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established by section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C. 34:1B-4).

“Director” means the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury.

“Follow-on investment” means a subsequent investment made by an investor who has a previous investment in a New Jersey high-growth business.

“Fund” means the “New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund” established by section 23 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C. 34:1B-291).

“High-growth business” means a business that is growing significantly faster than the average growth rate of the economy or is a start-up company that is investing in developing a product or new business model that will allow it to grow significantly faster than the average growth rate of the economy within the next three to five years.

“Incentive area” means an area in this State: (1) designated pursuant to the “State Planning Act,” P.L.1985, c.398 (C. 52:18A-196 et seq.), as Planning Area 1 (Metropolitan); or (2) that has been designated as a qualified opportunity zone pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 1400Z-1.

“Innovation ecosystem” means funding, programs, and events that support the establishment and expansion of high-growth companies in targeted sectors. Examples of such funding, programs, and events include: mentoring programs for start-ups, meet-up or networking events, funding for locating a business in a collaborative workspace, programs that provide business services, and entrepreneurial education to companies.

“Opportunity zone” means a federal population census tract in this State that was eligible to be designated as a qualified opportunity zone pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 1400Z-1 as may be amended.

“Principal business operations” means any of the following: (1) at least 50 percent of the business’s employees not primarily engaged in retail sales reside in the State; (2) at least 50 percent of the business’s payroll for employees not primarily engaged in retail sales is paid to individuals living in the State; (3) at least 50 percent of the business’s full-time employees not primarily engaged in retail sales are filling a position in the State; or (4) at least 50 percent of the business’s payroll for employees not primarily engaged in retail sales is paid to full-time employees filling a position in the State.

“Program” means the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Program established by section 22 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C. 34:1B-290).

“Purchaser” means an entity registered to do business in this State with the Director of the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in the Department of the Treasury that purchases an allocation of tax credits under the program.

“Qualified business” means a business that, at the time of the first qualified investment in the business and throughout the period of the qualified investment under the program, is registered to do business in this State with the Director of the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in the Department of the Treasury; has its principal business operations located in the State and intends to maintain its principal business operations in the State after receiving a qualified investment under the program; is engaged in a targeted industry; and employs fewer than 250 persons at the time of the qualified investment.

“Qualified investment” means the direct investment of money by the fund in a qualified business for the purchase of shares of stock, with an option to make an additional investment in an option or warrant or a follow-on investment, in the discretion of the authority, all of which is matched by an investment by a qualified venture firm.

“Qualified venture firm” means a venture firm that is approved by the authority as a qualified venture firm pursuant to section 29 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C. 34:1B-297).

“Special purpose vehicle” means an entity controlled by or under common control with a venture firm that is formed solely for the purpose of investing in a New Jersey high-growth business alongside the venture firm.

“Targeted industry” means any industry identified from time to time by the authority which shall initially include advanced transportation and logistics, advanced manufacturing, aviation, autonomous vehicle and zero-emission vehicle research or development, clean energy, life sciences, hemp processing, information and high technology, finance and insurance, professional services, film and digital media, non-retail food and beverage businesses including food innovation, and other innovative industries that disrupt current technologies or business models.

“Venture firm” means a partnership, corporation, trust, or limited liability company that invests cash in a business during the early or expansion stages of a business in exchange for an equity stake in the business in which the investment is made. Venture firm may include a venture capital fund, a family office fund, or a corporate investor fund, provided that a professional manager administers the venture firm.

L.2020, c.156, s.21; amended 2023, c.118, s.1.