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NEWS FEED
Startup innovation depends on acquisitions
I’ve spent my career starting businesses, taking risks on new ideas, and building innovative technologies
Startup News Digest 06/05/26
Sweeping review of federal programs threatens innovation ecosystem
#StartupsEverywhere: Marquette, Mich.
Marquette, Michigan-based startup Kall Morris Inc (KMI) provides a "tow truck" capability for space, designed to grab and secure unprepared, uncontrolled satellites or space debris. We sat down with CEO and co-founder Troy Morris to talk about KMI’s journey from Michigan to the International Space Station, the critical role of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and similar government grant programs, and the policy hurdles facing the next generation of aerospace innovators.
Engine Letter to California Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee on AB 412
Engine sent a letter to the California legislature opposing CA AB 412 AI training disclosure bill, which would require AI developers to identify, track, and record registered copyright holders of works used in training their generative AI models.
The FTC and DOJ Want to Rewrite Merger Filing Rules. Here’s What That Means for Startups.
Policymakers are looking at rewriting the rules around how companies get approval for mergers and acquisitions, which would impact the most common avenue for startups to exit.
Engine Coalition Letter to DC Council on QSBS Conformity
Engine and members of the District's startup community wrote to the DC Council urging it to keep the QSBS re-conformity provision in the FY2027 budget.
Engine Comments to Federal Trade Commission and Department Of Justice on Premerger Notification and Report Form
Engine submitted comments as the FTC and DOJ consider updates to the HSR rule and premerger notification process.
Startup News Digest 05/22/26
Administration weighs making foreign-born talent more expensive
#StartupsEverywhere: Seattle, Wash.
Kunal Chopra is no stranger to the world of innovation. He founded Certivo, a supply chain compliance assistant, after more than two decades in the tech sector and serving as CEO for three separate companies. We sat down with Kunal to discuss his company, the role of public-private partnerships in innovation, and how startups engage with vague laws around the world involving their operations.
States Are the New QSBS Battleground
For years, Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) has been one of the most important federal policies supporting startup growth and early-stage investment.
Engine comments to Department of Labor on prevailing wage for H-1B
Engine submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Labor opposing a proposed rule that would sharply raise prevailing wage levels for the H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, and PERM programs.
The newest attempt at a federal privacy framework and what it means for startups
For more than a decade, startups have been asking Congress for a single, national rulebook on consumer privacy.
#StartupsEverywhere: Bellevue, Wash.
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of working on filing paperwork for renovations, you know that seemingly obscure missing paperwork in a first submission can result in months of back and forth between you and your local government. Saf Rabah saw how this creates a bottleneck in the development of affordable housing and decided to use his previous experience to create Govstream.ai, a one-stop AI platform for builders and city planners to streamline the permitting process. We sat down with Saf to talk about his company, their unique public-private partnership with the city of Bellevue, Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS), and more.
Startup News Digest 05/08/26
Global negotiators secure a narrow agreement on ecommerce tariffs
#StartupsEverywhere: Chicago, Ill.
BestFarewell is a Chicago-based AI-powered platform that helps families navigate the complex logistics of estate planning and bereavement. We sat down with founder Jay Wilburn to discuss the development of his proprietary SageLink AI, the administrative burden on remote startups, modernized bereavement treatment, and the regulatory hurdles surrounding electronic wills.
#StartupsEverywhere: Seattle, Wash.
Retail workers have long shifts and often little time for feedback. Evan Smith is a Starbucks Vice President turned first-time entrepreneur, building Ethosphere, an AI-powered platform that uses personalized microphones to listen to sales conversations and provide retail associates with feedback on where they shine and could improve. We sat down with Evan to discuss his product, the importance of incubators, navigating the patchwork of state privacy laws, and more.
Engine Comments to Department of Labor on Independent Contractor Classification
Engine submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Labor supporting the proposed rule's shift from the current multifactor worker-classification test to a simpler two-factor standard.