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Startup News Digest 12/09/22

Startup News Digest 12/09/22

The Big Story: Digital Services Taxes passed on to end users, including startups. Efforts to implement a global tax deal that would help avoid sector-specific taxes on digital services ran into additional roadblocks this week. The development follows new government reports confirming that the digital services taxes (DSTs)—which are often imposed upon large technology companies—are actually paid by their end users. As a result, startups, who often build their companies with services from other large tech firms, can face increased costs to building and growing their businesses.

Startup News Digest 12/02/22

Startup News Digest 12/02/22

The Big Story: Time is running out for Congress to save imperiled immigration program. As the end of the year quickly approaches—and with it, the end of this session of Congress—the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) remains uncertain. DACA recipients play a key role in the startup ecosystem as entrepreneurs and STEM talent. Without Congressional action, the future of the program will likely end up in the hands of the Supreme Court, which could invalidate the program. Senate Democrats are pushing to provide permanent status for Dreamers before that happens.

Startup News Digest 11/18/22

Startup News Digest 11/18/22

The Big Story: Online sales tax back in the spotlight with watchdog report. A government agency is recommending that Congress address the patchwork of state laws that govern online sales taxes, an issue that has burdened e-commerce businesses, including many startups. In a new report this week, the Government Accountability Office examined the “substantial uncertainty” and complexity of the current remote sales tax landscape and recommended that Congress work with states to streamline requirements and minimize the burdens currently imposed on businesses across the country.

Startup News Digest 11/04/22

Startup News Digest 11/04/22

The Big Story: Affirmative Action cases will impact innovation ecosystem. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two cases that could upend race-conscious admissions policies used by many universities and alter the pipeline for STEM talent in the innovation ecosystem. Eliminating the ability to consider race in college admissions would have an outsized impact on on-campus diversity, the racial and ethnic diversity of many employers hiring college-educated talent throughout the country, and the makeup of the startup ecosystem and the breadth of innovation it produces.

Startup News Digest 10/28/22

Startup News Digest 10/28/22

The Big Story: Engine releases report on the role of acquisitions in the startup ecosystem. Engine, in partnership with Startup Genome, released a new report this week examining the role exits play in the startup ecosystem, highlighting the importance of exits via acquisition, and emphasizing the experience of founders that have had their companies acquired. The report—“Exits, Investment, and the Startup Experience: the role of acquisitions in the startup ecosystem”—should equip policymakers with a solid foundation from which they can advance pro-innovative policies that startups need to thrive.

Engine Releases Report on the Role of Acquisitions in the Startup Ecosystem

Engine Releases Report on the Role of Acquisitions in the 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.

Startup News Digest 10/21/22

Startup News Digest 10/21/22

The Big Story: Judge strikes down Maryland tax on digital advertising. A Maryland judge struck down the U.S.’ first tax on digital advertising, which faced vocal challenges including from technology companies and would have resulted in taxed companies passing down its cost to customers, including startups. In a ruling on Monday, the court found the tax, implemented by Maryland lawmakers to raise revenue, unconstitutional and a violation of the Internet Tax Freedom Act.

Startup News Digest 10/14/22

Startup News Digest 10/14/22

The Big Story: Proposed independent contractor rule could make hiring harder for startups. This week the Department of Labor (DoL) issued a proposed rule that is likely to impact how early-stage startups build their teams. The DoL’s proposed rule on worker classification would limit who can be considered an independent contractor and comes shortly after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced similar enforcement priorities for the gig economy. As we shared in a recent blog post, the rule could limit startup flexibility in their hiring decisions, which could particularly impact growing companies with lean budgets.

Startup News Digest 09/30/22

Startup News Digest 09/30/22

The Big Story: Network access fee debates heat up worldwide. This week, European telecom companies redoubled their push to make large Internet companies pay based on the traffic they generate, a policy that would undermine net neutrality principles and negatively impact the broader Internet ecosystem. The push comes after months of agitating by Internet service providers (ISPs) for the payments, called network access fees, and amid a growing number of jurisdictions that have taken steps toward such policies, including South Korea.

Startup News Digest 09/16/22

Startup News Digest 09/16/22

The Big Story: Startups are collateral as policymakers talk past each other on tech policy. Over the last week we’ve seen several tech policy conversations where contradictory, party-line talking points are on full display that—if taken seriously as policy ideas on everything from privacy, to national security, to content moderation, and more—would make life much harder for thousands of startups across the country. Lawmakers’ competing and mutually exclusive visions for the Internet doesn’t stop them from threatening policy changes that would alter the way tech companies, including startups, have to operate, however, as we highlight in a new blog post.

Startup News Digest 09/09/22

Startup News Digest 09/09/22

The Big Story: SBIR reauthorization remains at a standstill. Startups await the fate of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program as lawmakers continue to deliberate its reauthorization ahead of its fast-approaching September 30 expiration. With fierce support from advocates and innovators—who recognize the positive impact the program has on the innovation ecosystem—alike, this critical funding stream for R&D and commercialization risks drying up without congressional action.

Startup News Digest 08/26/22

Startup News Digest 08/26/22

The Big Story: Biden administration unveils student loan relief plan. After months of deliberation, President Joe Biden announced a three-part plan aimed at easing student loan debt, a move that could lower barriers for entrepreneurship in the U.S. The announcement—fulfilling a 2020 campaign promise—will cancel up to $10,000 in federal student debt for many borrowers and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients for those that earn less than $125,000 per year or $250,000 for households. It also includes steps to cap monthly payments, improve the forgiveness programs for borrowers who work in public service, and increase accountability around skyrocketing college costs.

Startup News Digest 08/19/22

Startup News Digest 08/19/22

Startup Advocacy Week and Congressional Startup Day underscore the importance of pro-innovation policy. Startups are key drivers of innovation, they spur job growth, and invigorate the U.S. economy. We at Engine are lucky to work with a vast network of startups across the country who know, first-hand, how essential pro-innovation policies are to their success—and those policies can only become a reality when policymakers invite startup founders to the table to listen to their experiences and hear about their needs. Those very conversations took place during this Startup Advocacy Week and Congressional Startup Day.

Engine Releases Policy Roadmap for Supporting Startups Everywhere

Engine Releases Policy Roadmap for Supporting Startups Everywhere

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.

Startup News Digest 08/12/22

Startup News Digest 08/12/22

The Big Story: Patent policy conversations need startup voices. Policymakers are continuing to evaluate several aspects of the patent system—one of many areas where policymakers need to account for startup voices and experiences to craft policy that promotes their success. This summer, IP subcommittees in both the Senate and the House held hearings about the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)—a venue within the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) that can take a second look at likely-invalid patents and weed out those that should not have issued.

Startup News Digest 08/05/22

Startup News Digest 08/05/22

The Big Story: Immigration reform is key for innovation, competitiveness. Pressure is building on lawmakers to address flaws in the country’s immigration system that keep the tech sector—including startups—from having the talent it needs. Following the recent passage of a sweeping competitiveness package, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) and Science Act, members of the tech industry are calling to attention the need for immigration reform to keep the sector competitive.

Startup News Digest 07/29/22

Startup News Digest 07/29/22

The Big Story: New net neutrality bill would benefit startups. Lawmakers are restarting the stalled conversation around net neutrality, the idea that Internet service providers (ISPs) shouldn’t be able to charge websites and online services—including those run by startups—for better, faster access to their users. This week, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act—a bill that would reclassify broadband to give the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to regulate ISPs, including on net neutrality.

Startup News Digest 07/22/22

Startup News Digest 07/22/22

The Big Story: CHIPS Act takes precedence in USICA developments. The Senate is moving forward with pared-down competitiveness legislation following Tuesday’s procedural vote, which cleared a key procedural hurdle. While the narrower package largely focuses on subsidies for the semiconductor industry, it is also expected to include some of the larger bill’s provisions to increase funding to broadly support U.S. innovation. Senators expect to tee up final passage next week, which would then send the bill to the House for consideration.

Startup News Digest 07/15/22

Startup News Digest 07/15/22

The Big Story: Hope fades for pro-startup provisions in U.S. competitiveness package. After months of negotiations, Congress has hit another roadblock to advancing a compromise version of two bills aimed at boosting U.S. competitiveness: the Senate’s United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) and the House’s America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act.

Startup News Digest 07/08/22

Startup News Digest 07/08/22

The Big Story: Copyright Office concludes ancillary copyright protections are not warranted. In a recent report, the U.S. Copyright Office explained why it does not recommend expanding or adopting new copyright-like protections for press publishers. The Copyright Office’s study was rooted in concerns about supporting vitally important local news media, but it focused specifically on whether policymakers should extend copyright-like protections (also known as “ancillary copyright”) to sharing hyperlinks and quoting news headlines or snippets of articles. Last week’s report concluded that it is not clear any new copyright-like protections would solve problems facing press publishers, while those sorts of copyright expansions would have “critical policy and Constitutional dimensions.”