The Big Story: New Engine report assesses the nation’s startup ecosystem. Engine, with support from the Charles Koch Institute and data prepared and analyzed by Startup Genome, released a new report this week examining trends in the startup ecosystem. The report—"The State of the Startup Ecosystem”—evaluates startup fundraising trends, assesses individual U.S. ecosystems, analyzes startup exits, and contextualizes the capital needs of investor-backed startups.

TLDR: Following House passage of President Joe Biden’s stimulus package this weekend, Senate Democrats are pushing forward with the measure that would provide billions of dollars to Americans and small businesses affected by the pandemic. As the Senate prepares to vote on the stimulus plan, it is important for policymakers to guarantee that the money set aside for struggling small businesses effectively provides the entrepreneurial community with the targeted emergency assistance it needs to drive the nation’s long-term economic recovery.

TLDR: Democrats are moving forward with President Joe Biden’s stimulus package that would provide billions of dollars in relief to small businesses and entrepreneurs affected by the pandemic. As policymakers finalize the proposal, they should work to ensure that economic relief earmarked for startups and other nascent companies truly provides long-term, targeted support for the U.S. entrepreneurial community.

TLDR: As the year draws to a close, Congress has yet to cross the finish line on another much-needed relief package to provide economic relief for Americans, including small businesses and entrepreneurs. But even as a bipartisan group of policymakers introduces a two-part relief package this week, U.S. entrepreneurs are still eagerly waiting for assistance that will help ensure the long-term survival of the country’s startup ecosystem.

TLDR: U.S. startups are in need of further economic relief to support their business operations amid the coronavirus pandemic. In a recent survey conducted by Engine, a majority of respondents who received federal assistance said the financial support they obtained was insufficient, and entrepreneurs voiced support for a variety of more-targeted policy proposals—such as equity investments, forgivable loans, a startup fund, tax credits, and grants—that could help provide them with the assistance they need during this difficult time.