#StartupsEverywhere
Emma Peters
#StartupsEverywhere: Covington, Ky.

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.

#StartupsEverywhere: Covington, Ky.
#StartupsEverywhere
Mitchell Winter
#StartupsEverywhere: Berkley, Calif.

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.

#StartupsEverywhere: Berkley, Calif.
Research, Statements & Releases
The Engine Team
Engine releases 2025 Startup Agenda

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 releases 2025 Startup Agenda
Research, Statements & Releases
The Engine Team
Engine releases Startup Policy Playbook for 2025

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.

Engine releases Startup Policy Playbook for 2025
#StartupsEverywhere
Emma Peters
#StartupsEverywhere: Davis, Calif.

After a career in corporate finance, Shweta Gandhi transitioned into the education sphere after recognizing the impact of data-driven solutions in addressing educational disparities. With experience in both nonprofit work and EdTech, she founded Strived.io, a program using AI to transform how schools utilize data for personalized learning. We spoke with Shweta about her journey, the future of AI in education, and more. 

#StartupsEverywhere: Davis, Calif.

#StartupsEverywhere: San Francisco, Calif.

#StartupsEverywhere: San Francisco, Calif.

Vassil Mladjov is the chairman and investor at Tallio.io, a startup that delivers targeted Shoppable ads to TV viewers. Tallio aims to make the experience of watching TV more relevant to the viewers by personalizing the ad experience. We spoke with Vassil about the history of Tallio and how it pivoted from a live stream shopping platform to a personalized TV advertising system, as well as the current landscape of data privacy laws and the implications of allowing companies to copyright their application programming interfaces (APIs).

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Startup News Digest 03/10/23

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Startup News Digest 03/10/23

The Big Story: Broad, diverse coalition underscores importance of Section 230. This week, Engine joined more than three dozen public interest organizations, academics, free expression advocates, industry associations, and companies in a letter highlighting the value of Section 230 in enabling users, community building, and expression online. The letter was sent to members of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law ahead of a hearing Wednesday on Section 230, a foundational Internet law that enables platforms of all sizes to host and moderate user content without risking ruinous liability. 

#StartupsEverywhere: Framingham, Mass.

#StartupsEverywhere: Framingham, Mass.

getWise is an online platform that offers affordable access to exclusive video tips and training from vetted and trusted experts. When major life events forced her to restart her career, founder Kathryn Rose used the power of her professional network and crafted a vision for getWise. We spoke with her about her arduous fundraising journey, navigating numerous privacy frameworks, and the need for resources for women entrepreneurs. 

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38 Groups From Public Interest To Industry Sign Letter Supporting Section 230 Ahead of Hearing

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38 Groups From Public Interest To Industry Sign Letter Supporting Section 230 Ahead of Hearing

Washington – As the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law plans a hearing Wednesday on the law that enables online services to host user-generated content, diverse organizations from academics to industry to public interest groups sent a letter to Subcommittee leaders. The letter acknowledges that Section 230 is the legal framework that enables anyone to create spaces online where user communities can gather and share content, to the benefit of Internet users and online expression. 

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Startup News Digest 03/03/23

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Startup News Digest 03/03/23

The Big Story: Congress looks to build momentum on privacy legislation. This week, a congressional subcommittee held a hearing exploring federal data privacy legislation, a top priority for startups. The hearing comes amid the emerging mosaic of state privacy laws that can create confusion and duplicative costs for startups. The hearing, held by the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce, focused on building upon legislation that passed through the committee last Congress and explored several issues important to startups in the privacy debate, including whether to preempt state laws, whether to allow private rights of action, and how to properly scope requirements for small businesses and startups.

#StartupsEverywhere: Kansas City, Mo.

#StartupsEverywhere: Kansas City, Mo.

Emily Brown, Co-Founder and CEO of Free From Market, is an ardent believer that food is medicine. She has firsthand experience with the impact that a lack of access to healthy foods can have on health outcomes, and created an e-commerce service to address this very issue. We spoke with her about her thoughts on barriers to accessing capital, compliance with data privacy rules, and current restrictions around SNAP and EBT eligibility.

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Startup News Digest 02/17/23

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Startup News Digest 02/17/23

The Big Story: Section 230, privacy, encryption in crosshairs at kids safety hearing. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday on protecting children’s safety online, where lawmakers suggested changes to several issues important to startups, like Section 230, data privacy, and encryption. The wide-ranging proposals appear conceived with the largest tech companies in mind, but they would affect all Internet companies, especially startups. The hearing comes amid efforts from policymakers at all levels of government aimed at safeguarding young Internet users that could carry unintended negative consequences for startups without necessarily protecting children.

#StartupsEverywhere: State College, Penn.

#StartupsEverywhere: State College, Penn.

Lightscline is building AI-based software that helps engineering teams achieve up to 90 percent cost reduction in sensor data pipeline management. The software collects 2-10x fewer data, reducing the power, compute, storage, transmission, and latency in digital transformation applications. Deep tech-focused founder Ankur Verma gave us insight into his background as a student entrepreneur operating with his University’s support, his experience navigating the U.S.’s immigration system, and his goals for Lightscline.

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Intellectual property scams target startups, and how policymakers can help

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Intellectual property scams target startups, and how policymakers can help

Bad actors are constantly looking to trick unsuspecting startups into unnecessarily giving up their already-limited resources. One scam gaining in popularity is to impersonate government officials and ask startups for payment to “renew” their existing trademarks, and it demonstrates how intellectual property systems can be weaponized against startups.

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Startup News Digest 02/10/23

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Startup News Digest 02/10/23

The Big Story: Hearings cast spotlight on capital access obstacles. Lawmakers heard from entrepreneurs and investors this week as they examined key issues impacting startups’ ability to access capital. The House Financial Services subcommittee held two hearings covering multiple legislative proposals, including efforts to expand the pool of accredited investors and changes to the structure of certain investment funds. Those changes, if enacted, would bring much needed diversity to the startup ecosystem’s investor pool and boost funding opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs.  

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The Patent and Trademark Office should work for everyone

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The Patent and Trademark Office should work for everyone

You might not realize it, but whether you’re a startup founder, a digital entrepreneur, or a casual technology and Internet user—what the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) does impacts you and the agency needs to be listening to you. That’s why Engine filed comments this week on USPTO’s draft strategic plan, suggesting ways the agency could improve its plans to support all U.S. innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs. 

#StartupsEverywhere: Cleveland, Ohio

#StartupsEverywhere: Cleveland, Ohio

As part of her work, Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer was working with a team of researchers to develop new technology to assist veterans with prosthetic limbs. The result of that work was new technology that became the basis of her company, SweatID where she is the Founder & Chief Technology Officer. We spoke with Chelsea to learn more about SweatID’s product, her experience raising capital from public and private sources, and her experience navigating intellectual property systems here and abroad.

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Startup News Digest 02/03/23

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Startup News Digest 02/03/23

The Big Story: Startup policy priorities for 2023, and how to get involved. This week, Engine released its first-ever Startup Policy Playbook, to help give members of the startup ecosystem—startup founders and employees, investors, and support organizations—an overview of the policy conversations happening this Congress and how they can get involved in amplifying the startup voice this year. 

#StartupsEverywhere: Palo Alto, Calif.

#StartupsEverywhere: Palo Alto, Calif.

Inspirit VR is a Palo Alto-based virtual reality technology platform that is looking to revolutionize the way children learn and harness their imagination by providing new experiences right in the classroom. We spoke to Co-Founder & CEO Aditya Vishwanath about the work his company is doing, his experience navigating the U.S. immigration system as a founder, and what the day-to-day experience is like for a startup leader navigating a wide array of compliance frameworks in the U.S. and abroad.

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Engine releases 2023 Startup Agenda

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Engine releases 2023 Startup Agenda

Engine's Startup Policy Agenda for 2023 highlights the voices of those startup companies, investors, and support organizations as they discuss in their own words the obstacles they face and the ways policies have helped and hurt them. We hope it serves as a high-level overview of the issues we hear about from startups every day and a jumping off point for policymakers looking to support the technology industry's small businesses.

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Startup News Digest 01/27/23

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Startup News Digest 01/27/23

The Big Story: U.S. moves forward on AI policy, resources for startups. This week, two federal entities released materials to bolster research and responsible development of Artificial Intelligence, which are or will be made available to startups. The National AI Research Resource Task Force released its final report to the president and Congress recommending the creation of a National AI Research Resource (NAIRR), and that startups be primary users of that resource. And the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework, a voluntary guide for companies—including startups—as they develop AI technologies. Both developments were spurred by the National AI Initiative Act of 2020 which passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act that year. 

#StartupsEverywhere: Lander, Wyo.

#StartupsEverywhere: Lander, Wyo.

Global Response Systems ("GRS") provides physicians, dentists, chiropractors, and urgent care clinics with HIPPA-compliant communications tools such as messaging solutions and secure file sharing. We sat down with CEO Joshua Denhardt to get a sense of current interoperability between electronic medical record systems, his experience building a company headquartered in rural Wyoming, and the importance of net neutrality for startups.

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Engine and CCIA release Tools to Compete Report

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Engine and CCIA release Tools to Compete Report

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.

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Startup News Digest 01/20/23

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Startup News Digest 01/20/23

The Big Story: Supreme Court hears about the value of Section 230 for startups, Internet creators. The Supreme Court received dozens of briefs this week in support of Section 230, including one Engine signed explaining how the law supports startups and small Internet platforms and another that Engine helped organize about the ways Internet creators benefit from Section 230. The briefs come as the court considers Gonzalez v. Google and the applicability of Section 230—the 1996 law that enables Internet platforms to host user content without fear of ruinous litigation. 

 

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