Startups need competition agenda that supports innovation
Fertility is a critical concern for both humans and the animals we share our world with. Whether addressing the rising rates of human infertility, finding ways to feed the global population more efficiently, or working to save endangered species, Dr. Cara Wells is tackling it all. Through her company, EMGenisys, Dr. Wells is advancing the science of embryonics for the 21st century. We sat down with her to discuss her product, patents, and access to capital.
Engine Statement regarding Small Business Investment Act of 2025
With a background in economic development and a startup itch, Lauren McCullough co-founded Tromml, helping the automotive industry understand sales dates. We sat down with her to discuss her company, the role of open source in AI, navigating intellectual property rights, and more.
Founded in 2022, Flamel.ai helps multi-location and franchise brands stay true to their brand guide while delivering content at scale. With a background in venture capital, co-founder Paul Ehlinger is a seasoned expert on issues facing startups today. We sat with Paul to discuss AI, open source, and more.
Most of us think of wearables as the smartwatch on our wrist or the monitor embedded in grandma’s bracelet, but GoRout has imagined a new method for integrating software and wearable tech. We spoke with GoRout CEO Mike Rolih to learn more about his company, the Minnesota startup ecosystem, and how GoRout is improving efficiency in the game of football and beyond.
What’s happening this week: Representatives from tech companies and industry trade groups slammed France’s new digital services tax yesterday during a hearing held by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, saying that the legislation unfairly targets U.S. tech companies. The hearing came after the French Senate last month approved a 3 percent tariff on tech companies with more than 25 million euros (approximately $27.7 million) in French revenue, or have a global revenue of more than 750 million euros (approximately $832 million) per year.
Charlotte, North Carolina has grown into a premier startup hub in recent years, helped in part by a ballooning number of startup-focused organizations and co-working spaces in the Queen City. To learn more about Charlotte’s burgeoning startup ecosystem, we spoke with Christine Nicodemus, COO and co-founder of SkoolAide, a startup that works to advance student learning and behavioral growth through goal-setting software.
This week, WayUp had the honor of hosting Congressman Jerry Nadler (NY-10th district) at our HQ in New York City. Not only is the congressman the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, but he also represents a large district in NYC where about a third of my employees live, and where hundreds of thousands of WayUp users reside. So, needless to say, it was an incredible opportunity.
What’s happening this week: The tech world is still digesting reports of a draft executive order from the White House that would empower the FTC and the FCC to crack down on social media platforms that moderate content that appears on their sites. The draft order, according to a summary obtained by CNN, would ask the FCC to develop regulations clarifying how and when digital platforms are protected when they remove online content. It also reportedly calls for the FTC to take the new regulations into account when it investigates or sues companies. The proposed order is not final and is subject to change, although it would represent a significant escalation of Trump administration’s allegations that social media sites are biased against conservatives.
The Big Story: Examining online extremism. The White House is holding a meeting on online extremism with tech and Internet platforms today in the wake of reports that the suspected perpetrator of last weekend’s deadly shooting in El Paso, Texas posted an anti-immigrant manifesto to online message board 8chan shortly before the shooting.
Delaware may be small, but the passion of the state’s entrepreneurs is hard to miss. One such innovative leader is Pedro Moore, who founded Funding Fuel as a means of helping everyday people build up wealth. Using an investment portfolio model, Pedro is focused on providing people, particularly those from underserved communities, with the means to invest in popular franchises to improve their financial situations.
Startups facing patent litigation should be aware of recent, positive developments in patent venue law. This area of law dictates where a patentee-plaintiff can file an infringement lawsuit, and requires that a startup (or any company) can only be sued in a location (judicial district) where it has sufficient presence. Importantly, recent legal developments restrict parties—including patent assertion entities (PAEs), sometimes referred to as “patent trolls”—from suing startups in far-flung, plaintiff-friendly judicial districts. This levels the playing field in abusive patent litigation and benefits startups, who should no longer be required to defend litigation far from “home.”
What’s happening this week: In the wake of two tragic mass shootings over the weekend, officials are once again turning their attention to the spread of problematic content on the Internet after hateful messages from the shooter in El Paso were discovered on the online message board 8chan. President Donald Trump yesterday called on social media platforms to work with the Justice Department to identify potential mass shooters, saying that “we must shine light on the dark recesses of the Internet and stop mass murders before they start.”
The Big Story: Fallout from Capital One breach. Capital One revealed that a massive data breach exposed personal information from over 106 million credit card holders and applicants. The announcement came after the FBI arrested a former Amazon Web Services employee accused of breaking through the bank’s firewall to access customer data stored on an Amazon cloud server. The FBI is already examining whether the woman accused of hacking into Capital One’s cloud server also successfully hacked into other organizations’ servers as well.
What the Copyright Office hearing means for startups. This afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing of the U.S. Copyright Office. Karyn Temple, the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, will testify about operations and policy activities at the Copyright Office.
The Big Story: Barr wants to end “warrant-proof” encryption. Attorney General William Barr said in a speech that tech companies should be required to provide law enforcement officials with backdoor access to “warrant-proof” encryption on devices and apps. Barr did not propose a solution or path forward during his speech, but said that encryption was “enabling dangerous criminals to cloak their communications and activities behind an essentially impenetrable digital shield.”
If asked about Rhode Island, any elementary school student would likely inform you that the Northeastern state is smallest in the Union by area. Rhode Island is also home to historic mansions, beautiful beaches, and large ocean bays. These days it is home to something else too--startup innovation and entrepreneurial energy. We spoke to Pat Sabatino, startup founder and executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition of Entrepreneurs to learn more about startups in The Ocean State.
China & the West Wing. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met with leaders of Google, Intel, Micron, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Cisco, and other tech companies yesterday to discuss Huawei and the China trade war. The Trump administration blacklisted Huawei and banned sales of U.S. technology to the Chinese telecoms giant on national security grounds in May, but President Donald Trump softened his stance at the G-20 summit in Osaka at the end of last month. This thaw helped to restart trade talks between the two countries that stalled back in May.
The Big Story: Congress takes scattershot aim at big tech. Congress held a series of tech industry hearings this week examining issues ranging from anti-competitive practices to allegations of political censorship and questions about Facebook’s proposed digital cryptocurrency. While lawmakers expressed a variety of concerns about the tech industry’s practices, there was little common ground between Democrats and Republicans about how to adequately address their worries.
When folks hear the name Traverse City, they think of cherries—it is the cherry capital of the world, after all. But Traverse City is increasingly becoming known for its entrepreneurial community of startups. We spoke with Andy Cole, executive director of 20Fathoms, about his organization’s role in northern Michigan’s startup ecosystem.
What Libra pushback means for startups. Congressional leaders in the House and Senate are planning to hold hearings this week about Facebook's recently launched Libra cryptocurrency. The hearings, as well as recent legislative and administrative responses to the digital currency proposal, could potentially impact blockchain and cryptocurrency startups.
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