The startup ecosystem is an interdependent system of startups, support organizations, investors, service providers, and others working to support startup growth and success through the provision of guidance, capital, and other critical resources. Each of these components is critical to the success of individual startup ecosystems all across the country and the growth of the overall U.S. startup ecosystem.

The U.S. startup ecosystem is defined by dynamism. Startups are constantly being founded, earning investment, growing, exiting, and—yes—failing in cities and towns all across the country. Startup exits and investment are two intimately related and important drivers of this dynamism critical to economic growth and innovation in the startup ecosystem. Startup exits—both those that are profitable and those that are not—promote the building of knowledge, recycling of talent, and flow of capital through the ecosystem. Each of those components are key to building new startups and stimulating the investment needed to grow them to scale.

Today, Engine issued a paper focused on the policy insights needed—and the legislative actions required—to adequately support the expanse of the startup ecosystem, and to grow the innovation economy. We hope this paper can serve as a resource for policymakers considering a wide range of policy issues that impact early-stage companies across the country.

Today, Engine, along with the Charles Koch Institute and Startup Genome, issued a report looking at the overall health of the startup ecosystem. We hope this report can serve as a resource for policymakers considering a wide range of policy issues that impact early-stage companies across the country.

A primer on Access to Capital and what it means for startups.

Engine has released a new report that outlines why it is so important for the government to prioritize quality and balance when it comes to patent policy.

This primer provides an overview of copyright issues and what they mean for startups.

A primer that provides an overview of patent issues and what they mean for startups.

How determining user age impacts startups

Debates about the intermediary liability framework provided by Section 230 have animated policy conversations as lawmakers grapple with harmful online content, including around election integrity, health information, and children’s safety. But those debates are almost exclusively focused on the largest Internet companies. Section 230, however, applies to all services of all sizes that host all types of user-generated content, including startups.

In this report, and through a series of events in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2019, Engine and the Charles Koch Institute sought to unpack the nuts and bolts of content moderation. We examined what everyday content moderation looks like for Internet platforms and the legal framework that makes that moderation possible, debunked myths about content moderation, and asked attendees to put themselves in the shoes of content moderators.

A primer on the costs of Section 230 and why even the threat of lawsuits can hurt startups.

An ebook for policymakers on the laws surrounding user-generated content and intermediary liability on the Internet.

A primer on Section 230 and why intermediary liability matters to startups.

A look at the functionality & shortcomings of content detection tools.

How determining user age impacts startups

Data privacy has been top of mind for consumers, policymakers, regulators, companies, and entrepreneurs for the past several years, in the wake of broad privacy rules in the EU, and action in several U.S. states. The U.S., which has long had a sectoral approach to privacy, remains without a comprehensive privacy framework, and many states have reacted by proposing, passing, and implementing their own varying—and potentially conflicting—comprehensive privacy laws.

This report examines several recent developments in the policy debate over encryption, including the debate over building backdoors to encrypted content for law enforcement, as well as reports about law enforcement’s current capabilities and impediments to accessing data in criminal investigations, and growing concerns on how encryption may affect efforts to combat the spread of child exploitation material on the Internet.

This report explores the state of data privacy today, including the buzzwords of user privacy, state efforts to protect consumer data, and how efforts like the GDPR and CCPA impact both consumers and startups.

A primer on the California Consumer Protection Act and what it means for startups.

An ebook for policymakers on the past, present, and future of encryption technology.

How startups are harnessing Big Data to tackle social challenges.

A primer about why immigration policies can have an important impact on startups.

A primer about why supporting STEM and diversity can help provide more talent for startups.

Engine filed comments with the Department of Homeland Security on a proposed rulemaking that would change the registration requirements for H-1B visas.

A primer about online sales taxes and why they matter to startups.

A primer on current trade issues and why they matter to startups.

A primer on Telecom—specifically Net Neutrality and Broadband Access—and why it matters to startups.