Federal court backs fair use in AI copyright case
Last week the Senate’s version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) began to take shape, touching policy issues affecting the startup community such as AI, broadband funding and business tax credits.
As global conflict increases and urbanization continues, there is an increasing need for alternatives to global positioning systems (GPS). Shaun Moore, co-founder at Tern AI, realized the issue, partnered with two other co-founders and decided to use his previous startup experience to help create an innovative solution. We sat down with Shaun to learn more about his journey, product, and more.
Tax reform efforts moves to the Senate
With a career in waste management and recycling, Sashti Balasundaram knew he was ready to make a deeper change. He created WeRadiate, a company focused on soil health using organic recycling technology and data. We sat down with Sashti to discuss his product, manufacturing, the startup ecosystem, and more.
Authentise is a software company headquartered in Philadelphia, Penn. that is working to enable 3D printing systems to operate more efficiently by using artificial intelligence and other digital tools. We sat down with Andre Wegner, CEO and Founder, to learn about what led him to start the company, the barriers the U.S. immigration system creates to hiring the talent he needs, and how policymakers can look to additive manufacturing to fill gaps in existing supply chains.
Today in Lisbon, Portugal, a collection of European nations launched the European Startup Nations Alliance, a formal body to support the implementation of the Startup Nations Standard. The standards, originally announced in March, are eight best practices designed to accelerate startup growth on the European continent and “make the European Union the most attractive” place to launch and grow a startup.
The Big Story: Biden puts up key tech, telecom nominees. This week, President Biden announced several long-awaited nominations that, if confirmed, will serve key roles in setting technology and telecom policies that impact the startup ecosystem.
Event Vesta is an event discovery and promotion platform founded in Omaha, Neb. working to improve the connectivity between event organizers and attendees. Andrew Prystai, CEO and co-founder, shared with us the origins of the platform, his experience as a tech entrepreneur in the Midwest, and the ways in which existing tech policy frameworks have enabled their team to build a successful platform.
“Engine congratulates Kathi Vidal on her nomination as the next Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She would have an undeniable role to play in supporting the nation’s startups and stands to make important contributions that advance diversity in innovation and ensure the patent system works for all stakeholders. It is likewise critical the PTO prevent imbalanced policies that block progress, because we have seen how recent policy decisions have contributed to rapidly increasing rates of abusive patent assertion, growing litigation costs, and a drop in patent quality. We look forward to working with Ms. Vidal toward an inclusive, diverse, and equitable patent system that prioritizes quality and allows everyone across the country to innovate and contribute.”
The Big Story: Policymakers turn attention to patent policy. Over the past weeks, there have been several indications policymakers across D.C. are thinking about the various roles patents play in innovation policy—both recognizing their potential to support innovators but also seeking to understand how low-quality patents hurt startups and small businesses.
TopProp is a daily fantasy sports platform designed to enable users to import existing fantasy football teams and calculate the odds of winning their matchups with friends. We spoke with Michael Zavagno and Griffin Kurzius, Co-Founders of TopProp, about what led them to build the platform and the challenges startups face when navigating different regulatory structures based on location.
The Big Story: New tax deal could impact global startup ecosystem. Officials from around the world are moving forward with a new tax deal that would shift current tax laws and stands to impact both large companies and startups. G20 Finance Ministers this Wednesday endorsed the agreement that 136 countries agreed on last week, which would tax businesses based on where their goods and services are consumed—a shift from taxation based on physical presence. The deal would also set a new global minimum tax of 15 percent.
Evidence and data must inform innovation policy, but numbers without context cannot tell a whole story. When it comes to patent policy, for example, counting certain patent applications that were filed with or abandoned before the U.S. patent office might not indicate much (if anything) about domestic innovation.
After weeks of discussion, Congress remains at a standstill in the fight to advance both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the proposed $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, with some legislators concerned about the size and scope of the packages. Revenue raisers in the form of tax increases have centered the reconciliation debate. But another proposed provision — to alter the favorable treatment of qualified small business stock (QSBS) — should be on startups’ radars.
The Big Story: Congress hears about startups’ need for clear data rules. Lawmakers have turned back to discussions of a federal privacy framework, including at a hearing this week on data security, which featured testimony from Engine focused on how startups need clarity and certainty around data security practices.
Storj is an encrypted, decentralized cloud storage provider that utilizes its own digital token to facilitate transactions. We spoke with Ben Golub, the CEO of Storj, about how their platform functions, the current uncertainty around cryptocurrency and digital asset regulation, and the importance of considering startups’ perspective in policy making.
The Big Story: SHOP SAFE bill advances despite potential to harm e-commerce startups and small businesses. In a first vote this week, the House Judiciary Committee advanced the SHOP SAFE Act, a bill that would create substantial costs and risks for e-commerce startups—making it harder for them to compete—and erect new barriers for entrepreneurs and small businesses who want to sell goods online.
Tomodachi is a social learning platform that enables students to create unique content and present work to audiences beyond the classroom. Started by a wife and husband duo, Na Xue and Ken Lo, with the mission of creating meaningful educational connections and providing a global, inclusive learning environment. We had the chance to speak with Na Xue—a former educator and co-founder of Tomodachi—about the origins of the company, regulatory challenges in EdTech, and the challenges women founders can face when building their startups.
“Engine is proud to support the Restoring the America Invents Act, introduced today by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.). This bill would promote patent quality, help stem abusive patent assertion, and repair certain tools startups can and have used to challenge invalid patents. It also reflects the value of high-quality U.S. patents to promote innovation and embodies the balance needed to ensure that low-quality, invalid patents are not so easily weaponized against domestic innovators and small businesses.”
The Big Story: Congress hits roadblock on immigration reform
A potential pathway to citizenship for Dreamers—a group critical to the startup ecosystem—was derailed this week when the Senate Parliamentarian blocked Democrats’ efforts to include immigration reform in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. Many Dreamers are entrepreneurs, and, as a group, they employ over 86,000 individuals across the country. Legislators are now considering alternative proposals to ensure immigration provisions remain a priority.
Melon is a Chicago-based company working to build and implement e-commerce solutions for an array of businesses that are increasingly relying on digital consumers, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryan Nicholson—Founder and CTO—told us why he founded Melon, the ongoing impact he’s seeing of COVID-19 on the businesses they work with, and how startups are looking for certainty across an array of policy topics.
The following statement is attributed to Kate Tummarello, Executive Director of Engine, regarding today’s introduction of the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2021.
Statement:
“Engine is proud to support the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2021, a bill that would expand startup access to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s resources and services. The legislation, introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), would lower barriers to entry for underrepresented founders interested in seeking high-quality patents and enhance the PTO’s presence across the country so that the government can do an even better job of meeting innovators where they are at.”
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