Tariffs invite retaliation that will harm startups
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.
Navigating the fine print of commerce as a consumer is, at best, tedious and obscure. Kamal Nahas, co-founder and CEO of pap!, is using AI to cut through the tangled web of laws and policies and get consumers money back on their purchases. We sat down with him to discuss his company, the privacy policy landscape, and the American visa process.
Engine released the 2025 Startup Policy Agenda showcasing how smart, thoughtful policy facilitates and encourages startup activity, leading to more innovation and more economic and job growth. The Agenda gives those working on policy an overview of the issues that are currently impacting—and the debates that stand to impact—startups.
Engine released the 2025 Startup Policy Playbook to give members of the startup ecosystem—founders, employees, investors, and support organizations—an overview of the policy conversations happening this year and how they can get involved in amplifying the startup voice. There’s lots to do, and lots to do better, and this playbook highlights why shaping innovation-friendly policies matters to startups.
Founded in Portland, Oregon, Lithic Tech builds software for startups, non-profits, and other teams, and assists clients in launching new products with a strong foundation. We talked to Co-Founder Rob Galankis about his programming background, the importance of business incubators in smaller tech hubs, and how policymakers can craft reasonable patent laws and financial programs that enable innovators from all backgrounds to have the flexibility they need to take risks and grow.
The Big Story: JOBS Act 4.0 could create more opportunities for startups. Policymakers are considering a sweeping package of proposals that could increase opportunities for startups to access capital and reduce regulatory barriers that make existing opportunities difficult. In comments to the Republican leadership of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Engine explained how the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act 4.0—as well as potential modifications and additions to the bill—could incentivize investment, open up more avenues for would-be investors, and advance equitable access the startup ecosystem.
The Big Story: Indo-Pacific framework could advance digital trade priorities for startups. Early this week during his visit to Japan, President Biden announced the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) with 12 countries in the region. The framework—first outlined last year and including Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam—is the administration’s primary trade engagement in the region and promises to touch on digital trade issues important to startups, like data flows and regulation of emerging technologies.
Raydiant Oximetry, Inc. has developed a low-cost, non-invasive biomedical device to monitor oxygen levels in fetal blood and improve outcomes of both mothers and their children during childbirth. Neil P. Ray, Founder and CEO, opened up about his medical professional background, how Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding has impacted his company, and how policymakers can better support innovation that addresses the country’s critical needs.
This summer marks one year since the leaders of the G-20 agreed to endorse a tax deal to eventually implement a global minimum corporate tax rate, which promised to create consistency around the world and fewer opportunities for passed-down costs for startups. But officials around the world are hitting road bumps as they attempt to bring their countries’ policies in line with the deal, making a global framework by the end of 2023 unlikely.
The Big Story: Tech waits to see if SCOTUS will let Texas social media law stand. The Internet ecosystem is waiting to see whether the Supreme Court will issue an emergency stay of a lower court ruling from last week that would limit Internet companies’ ability to remove harmful content. The emergency stay could come as early as today. This week, Engine joined the Chamber of Progress and over 20 Internet advocacy groups and civil society organizations in a brief to the court urging them to reverse the Fifth Circuit decision, which overruled a lower court ruling that kept a 2021 Texas social media law from going into effect.
Los Angeles-based Camino Financial supports entrepreneurs and small business owners from disadvantaged communities through its AI-powered direct lending platform. We sat down with Co-Founder and COO, Kenneth Salas, to learn more about the work his company is doing. He also spoke with us about the use of artificial intelligence, the importance of support for local startup ecosystems, and the benefits of a policy landscape that incentivizes investment in new, innovative companies.
The Big Story: Big week for Biden’s broadband efforts. The Biden administration is honing in on broadband expansion this week with new partnerships with Internet providers to ensure low-cost broadband for low-income Americans and the kickoff of a program to make available $45 billion for state broadband initiatives. Reliable, accessible, affordable broadband is crucial to the startup ecosystem and innovators across the country.
George Hristov has found himself in a number of different roles within the startup ecosystem. Currently, he serves as Community Manager for Denver-based Colorado Startups, a community-building organization for founders, investors, and others to develop their startup network and share resources that can help them in their career pursuits. We spoke with George about what led him to Colorado Startups, how they approach building their startup community, and how policymakers can help develop environments that encourage innovative entrepreneurship.
The Big Story: Administration action easing student loan debt could spur entrepreneurship. With student debt forgiveness back in the news, policymakers have an opportunity to ease the tough road to entrepreneurship, especially for underrepresented founders. Last week, the Biden administration indicated an intent to enact student loan forgiveness in the coming weeks, as millions of borrowers continue to struggle with high federal student debt balances. While the details are still unclear on what exactly forgiveness would look like and who would be eligible, one thing is clear: excessive student loan debt serves as a barrier to entrepreneurship for many.
Nixsheets is an innovative workflow and automation platform for accounting teams. By combining several software categories, Nixsheets simplifies accounting and reduces manual work. We spoke with Founder and CEO Sal Abdulla about how his varied background in finance and politics led him to launch his own company, the gap Nixsheets fills in the current market, the burdens of a state-by-state patchwork of privacy laws, and how policymakers can help facilitate (or at least not frustrate) critical interoperability.
When policymakers think about changing the rules for how companies host and moderate user content, they focus on three or four large Internet companies. But we know from talking to startups across the country every day that all kinds of companies host user content online. They may not be the companies that are top of mind when policymakers write rules, but they’re the companies least equipped to deal with compliance and litigation costs designed with the large industry players in mind.
The startup ecosystem is incredibly broad and diverse, with startup founders launching small businesses with different business models, in different industries, and in cities and towns across the country. But one thing that startup founders from across the spectrum share the knowledge of how difficult it is to run a startup. Founders are often faced with hard choices about how to invest their already limited time and resources against a policy backdrop—which impacts business decisions, investment opportunities, compliance requirements, and more—that can change on a dime and is often written without startups in mind.
The Big Story: EU advances overhaul of content moderation rules. Early Saturday morning, the European Union reached an agreement on a final version of landmark legislation to govern online intermediaries hosting user content in the EU. The legislation, known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), will build on existing EU law and create new obligations for companies—including startups—that will require additional staff, development of new tools, and attention toward compliance in order to serve users in the EU.
Brandon Winfield is the Founder & CEO of Atlanta-based iAccess Innovations. After facing his own challenges finding spaces that would be accessible to his own mobility range, he decided to build a space where people with disabilities could share their accessibility experiences with public businesses and spaces. We spoke to Brandon about his journey building his company, the challenges of moderating user content as a small platform, and his company’s work to train other businesses on disability etiquette and inclusion.
The Big Story: Startups should be prominent voice in merger guidelines re-write. This week, Engine submitted comments in response to a request for information (RFI) from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division on merger enforcement. The agencies issued the RFI in January as they move toward re-writing the merger guidelines, guidance that outlines how the agencies will analyze prospective mergers, which is traditionally relied on by the agencies, companies, and courts alike. Sound merger enforcement that mitigates illegal anticompetitive behavior is important for startup success, but policymakers must balance those potential harms with the benefits of acquisitions. If the new guidelines are too restrictive, they risk burdening legal transactions—including those of startups, thereby limiting startups’ exit opportunities and stemming the flow of capital in the startup ecosystem.
Enployable is a new AI-powered platform that matches job openings with potential candidates through systems that identify cultural and personal priorities for all parties involved. Based in Tysons, Virginia, Founder and CEO Laura Truncellito walked us through the company’s platform and goals, the importance of building equitable artificial intelligence systems, and how she thinks policymakers can support AI startups.
Startups urge PTO director to prioritize balance and inclusion. This week, over 50 startups, investors, and innovation support organizations sent a letter to congratulate Kathi Vidal on her new role as Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and to urge her to lead the agency with an eye towards the needs and experiences of the nation’s tech startups. For the startup ecosystem, the patent system can play a valuable role toward supporting innovation, but it has just as much potential to stifle progress when it isn’t working well.
Scroobious is an online platform and community connecting early-stage founders to investors and partners. Their Pitch it Plan™ provides founders with unique resources and tools for success throughout the pitching process. We spoke with Founder and CEO Allison Byers on how her platform has given her unique perspectives on underrepresented founders, what it means to be both a mother and an entrepreneur, and how policymakers can better support the tech ecosystem.
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