Creating a startup company takes a lot of time and effort. It also takes money, which is something that entrepreneurs like Henry Schwartz know all too well.

Schwartz is co-founder and president of MobCraft Beer, a craft brewery in Madison, Wisconsin. His company recently became the first in his state to get approval from regulators to use crowdfunding to raise money from a large number of small investors online. It’s allowed under a new state law aimed at helping startup ventures.

Image: Matthew Marcus works at his desk in the basement of Kansas City Startup Village in Kansas City, Kansas. Kansas is one of a dozen states that have made it easier for startups to use crowdfunding to raise money from investors. (AP)