Noula Health is a data-driven virtual care platform offering personalized, accessible health care through at-home hormone testing and 1-on-1 coaching from experts. Noula helps its customers craft reproductive health care plans tailored to their individual needs with science-backed recommendations determined from a quick finger prick test and ongoing assessments. Founder & CEO Noelle Acosta, motivated by her own health care journey, shared with us her story, her unique experiences raising capital, and the future outlook of her company.
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
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.
#StartupsEverywhere: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Carefully is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based platform enabling parents to collectively share the responsibilities of childcare. We spoke to the Founder & CEO Leslie Borrell about how working as a single-mom inspired the creation of Carefully, why policymakers should prioritize solving the childcare crisis, and how founder support programs were critical to helping her build a startup.
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.
Statement on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals DACA Ruling
The following statement is attributed to Kate Tummarello, Executive Director of Engine, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruling in State of Texas v. United States of America.
Statement
“Yesterday’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruling DACA illegal is a crushing disappointment for the thousands of DACA recipients living and working in the U.S., who provide meaningful contributions to our country, including our startup ecosystem. While existing DACA recipients currently retain their protections, it is clear Congress must act urgently to secure and extend protections for all Dreamers and send the message that they are valued, eliminating the constant threat of deportation.”
USPTO Public Advisory Board Must Represent The Public
The USPTO does not get all of its advice from the PPAC — and it shouldn't. But especially for an agency with limited avenues for public engagement, it's essential that when conversations are happening — including at the PPAC — policymakers make sure everyone gets a voice in how the patent system works.
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.
#StartupsEverywhere: New York City, N.Y.
Airpals is a New York City, N.Y.-based platform working to close gaps in the local delivery logistics market. They have built their technology with “a triple bottom line approach”—focusing on people, the planet, and profit—in mind. We spoke to the Founder, CEO, & Creative Director Joshe Ordonez about the goals she has for Airpals, how she navigates building her workforce as a growing startup, and the ways in which policymakers can support the interconnected tech ecosystem.
Startup News Digest 09/23/22
The Big Story: SBIR reauthorization on the horizon, heads to the House. After months of negotiations, a key grant program for startups is expected to be reauthorized just in time for its scheduled expiration at the end of the month. The House is expected to vote next week to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, following a vote in the Senate to reauthorize the program for three years this past Tuesday. The program serves as a critical funding source for many startups engaged in research and development (R&D).
#StartupsEverywhere: Asheville, N.C.
Ecobot is a mobile and cloud platform optimizing fieldwork by speeding along regulatory approval and lowering costs. We had a conversation with Co-Founder and CEO Lee Lance about Ecobot’s impact on environmental permitting fieldwork, his experience raising capital as an Asheville-based founder, and how the potential expansion of broadband impacts Ecobot’s work.
Proposal to Redefine Patent Eligibility and What it Means for Startups
Last month, Senator Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced a bill to change the rules that govern what can be patented. Briefly, current patent eligibility law prevents companies from trying to own basic ideas and from trying to preclude others from building new businesses or innovations that rely on those underlying ideas.
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.
#StartupsEverywhere: Chicago, Ill.
Grapefruit Health is a B2B tech-enabled platform helping to solve one of the biggest problems in health care: the workforce shortage. We spoke with Founder and CEO Eric Alvarez about his background in health care, the importance of startup support organizations when it comes to generating early funding, and the company's own fundraising journey.
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.
#StartupsEverywhere: Portland, Maine
Eskuad is a field data platform designed to work offline, allowing fieldworkers to easily manage their data without the hassle of trying to find and connect to a signal. Founder and CEO Max Echeverria spoke with us about his experience working with accelerators and raising capital and how policymakers can better fill talent gaps.
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.
#StartupsEverywhere: Asheville, N.C.
Edison Marks makes small-and medium-sized enterprise owners more aware of the cybersecurity threats facing their businesses by creating personalized reports and simplifying the issue. Co-Founder and CEO Jeremiah Smith spoke to us about his company, his experience with the Small Business Association (SBA) and the Small Business Technology Council (SBTC), and what he thinks policymakers should consider when thinking about cybersecurity.
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.
Congressional Startup Day and Startup Advocacy Week 2022 Statement from Engine
The following statement is attributed to Kate Tummarello, Executive Director of Engine, on Congressional Startup Day, a central part of Startup Advocacy Week:
Statement:
“Engine is grateful to Congressional Startup Day Co-Chairs Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) and Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), as well as all of the members of Congress taking time this week to meet with their startup constituents. We are proud to help organize Congressional Startup Day each year as an opportunity for tech entrepreneurs across the country to connect with their representatives and discuss how policymakers can support startups. The startup ecosystem is a vital part of the economy, and startups must have a seat at the table to ensure the best policies for encouraging innovation across the U.S.”
Background:
Congressional Startup Day, part of Startup Advocacy Week, is an opportunity for members of Congress to witness the innovation and entrepreneurship taking place in their states and districts. Throughout the week of August 15th, Engine helps lawmakers meet with members of the startup ecosystem from their state or district. In addition to the dozens of meetings taking place this year, we have facilitated over 400 meetings between startups and members of Congress as part of Congressional startup day since 2018. And this year, Sen. Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Rep. Tom Emmer (Minn.), and Rep. Veronica Escobar (Texas) are serving as co-chairs of Congressional Startup Day.
Follow the hashtags #CongressionalStartupDay and #StartupDay for updates from participating startups and government officials throughout the week.