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Allied For Startups asbl

AFS

Allied For Startups is the policy voice of startups in the EU and worldwide, advocating for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Lobbying Activity

Allied For Startups urges EU to prioritize quantum scale-ups

15 Dec 2025
Topic — The consultation seeks to accelerate research and industrial deployment of quantum technologies in Europe.
Message — The group wants a framework prioritizing speed and simplicity for startups. They recommend using public procurement and addressing legal fragmentation across borders.123
Why — Startups would benefit from pan-European infrastructure access and continuous industrialization funding.45
Impact — Established industry players lose if new standards prevent them from freezing markets.6
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Meeting with Henna Virkkunen (Executive Vice-President) and

11 Nov 2025 · 28th regime

Meeting with Elena Martines (Cabinet of Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva)

4 Nov 2025 · Exchange of views on the European Innovation Act and the EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy.

Allied For Startups warns Digital Fairness Act threatens startup growth

24 Oct 2025
Topic — The European Commission is evaluating rules to tackle unfair digital commercial practices like dark patterns.
Message — Allied For Startups urges the Commission to avoid duplicating existing consumer protection laws. They request preserving flexibility for data-driven advertising and opposing new restrictions on free trials.123
Why — This allows startups to reach customers affordably while avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens and costs.45
Impact — Consumers risk losing access to free services and experiencing increased notification fatigue from mandates.678
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Allied For Startups Urges Digital Simplification for Innovation

14 Oct 2025
Topic — The Digital Omnibus initiative proposes measures to simplify the EU's digital regulatory framework.
Message — The organization calls for a pause on new digital legislation and the implementation of an innovation stress test. They also advocate for clear AI Act guidance and protection for subscription-based business models.123
Why — Reducing administrative burdens would allow startups to devote more resources to global scaling.4
Impact — Consumers may lose privacy control if explicit consent is replaced by legitimate interest justifications.5
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Allied For Startups Urges Modernised EU State Aid Rules

6 Oct 2025
Topic — The Commission is reviewing rules that allow Member States to grant aid without notification.
Message — They propose extending startup status to ten years and accepting venture capital as proof of viability. The group also recommends supporting blended finance models and international recruitment for strategic technologies.123
Why — Firms would access support for longer periods despite having heavy capital needs and early losses.45
Impact — Traditional small companies could lose their historical advantage within the existing European aid framework.6
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Response to European Innovation Act

1 Oct 2025

Allied For Startups (AFS) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Call for Evidence on the European Innovation Act (EIA). Startups and scaleups are Europes most dynamic engines of innovation, yet their growth is constrained by fragmentation, burdensome regulation, and barriers to scale. The EIA is a unique chance to build a genuine single market for innovation. AFS recommends: common EU definitions for startups, scaleups, and innovative companies; mandatory innovation tests in policymaking; EU-wide mutual-recognition sandboxes; IPR-backed finance and scale-up equity; streamlined pathways to commercialise public R&I; fair access to infrastructures; innovation-friendly public procurement; a modern EU baseline for stock options and talent mobility; and robust governance with measurable KPIs. By tackling these bottlenecks, the EIA can turn Europes scientific excellence into competitive companies, jobs, and global leadership. AFS and its members stand ready to work with the Commission, Member States and the Parliament to translate these priorities into practice.
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Allied For Startups Urges Unified EU-Wide Company Law Regime

30 Sept 2025
Topic — Establishing a single harmonized legal framework for innovative companies across the EU.
Message — The organization demands a single, optional European company form created through a Regulation. They advocate for digital-first incorporation and flexible governance allowing for seamless cross-border operations.12
Why — A uniform regime would significantly lower compliance costs and simplify pan-European investment.3
Impact — Traditional intermediaries like notaries lose as digital-first incorporation replaces complex national paperwork.4
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Allied For Startups Urges DMA Review to Protect Company Acquisitions

23 Sept 2025
Topic — The European Commission is evaluating how digital market rules affect startups and competition.
Message — The organization requests that the review protects the ability for startups to be acquired. They also seek simplified regulations and a single set of European rules.12
Why — Ensuring acquisitions remain possible helps founders secure financial returns and attract new investment.3
Impact — National authorities would lose their ability to enforce independent, stricter digital competition rules.4
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Allied For Startups urges merger rules favoring innovation and exits

3 Sept 2025
Topic — The European Commission is updating guidelines for horizontal and non-horizontal mergers.
Message — The revised Guidelines should presume mergers are pro-competitive unless clear harm is shown. They should adopt an innovation imperative that gives due weight to long-term efficiencies.12
Why — Clearer rules would secure credible exit routes and prevent month-long delays in valuations.345
Impact — Competition authorities might struggle to block acquisitions that eliminate potential future market rivals.6
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Allied For Startups urges simplification instead of new consumer laws

29 Aug 2025
Topic — The EU is planning a new consumer policy strategy for 2025 to 2030.
Message — The organization urges policymakers to focus on simplifying and harmonising existing consumer laws. They oppose the proposed Digital Fairness Act, arguing it creates unnecessary complexity and duplicates current protections.12
Why — Startups would avoid higher compliance costs and maintain effective digital marketing tools.34
Impact — Regulatory burdens could reduce market competition, leading to fewer choices for consumers.5
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Meeting with René Repasi (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and France Digitale and

17 Jul 2025 · 28. Regime

Meeting with Pascal Canfin (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and France Digitale and European Startup Network ivzw

17 Jul 2025 · 28th Regime

Allied For Startups urges EU to streamline complex data rules

16 Jul 2025
Topic — The consultation seeks to simplify legal frameworks for seamless data sharing across Europe.
Message — The group advocates for simplifying overlapping regulations to help small companies navigate the legal landscape. They urge the EU to fast-track sectoral data spaces and ensure non-discriminatory access to public information.123
Why — Reducing legal fragmentation would lower the high compliance costs currently hindering cross-border expansion.4
Impact — Content creators and IP holders might lose protection if fair use principles are expanded.5
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Meeting with Pascal Canfin (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

8 Jul 2025 · 28th Regime

Allied For Startups Calls for Open, Global Cloud Infrastructure

1 Jul 2025
Topic — The EU is consulting on a plan to triple cloud capacity and green AI.
Message — Allied For Startups urges the EU to avoid restrictive data localization and streamline permitting for data centers. They recommend creating AI sandboxes and ensuring startups have fair access to public procurement.12
Why — Startups would benefit from lower operational costs and better access to essential high-performance computing resources.34
Impact — Dominant cloud providers could lose market power as the EU targets restrictive licensing and lock-ins.5
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Meeting with Egelyn Braun (Cabinet of Commissioner Michael McGrath)

18 Jun 2025 · Exchange of views on the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act

Allied For Startups urges EU to empower small AI innovators

4 Jun 2025
Topic — This consultation focuses on boosting industrial AI adoption and public service innovation across Europe.
Message — They advocate for simple rules and access to technical infrastructure like AI Factories. The strategy must remove regulatory barriers that currently hinder startups from navigating the ecosystem. It should also encourage legacy industries to collaborate with and acquire European startups more actively.12
Why — Reduced regulatory burdens and access to expensive resources would help startups scale efficiently.3
Impact — Large market actors currently benefiting from policy frameworks designed primarily for their needs.4
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Meeting with Jörgen Warborn (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Jun 2025 · Startsups

Meeting with Marc Lemaitre (Director-General Research and Innovation) and

25 Apr 2025 · Second meeting of the European Startup and Scaleup Forum. Discussion on the draft building blocks of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy structured along the identified obstacles and possible solutions.

Response to EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy

13 Mar 2025

If the EU is to close the innovation gap, it must adopt a bottom-up approach that recognises and empowers startups as the driving force of innovation. While no two startup journeys are identical, common patterns emerge, every startup progresses through five key stages: idea, starting up, acceleration, global expansion, and exit. At each stage, they face specific challenges: early-stage funding, access to talent and tools, overregulation, scale-up capital, and weak exit markets. Understanding this journey has been a key factor in shaping the worlds leading innovation ecosystems. Startups, by definition, are newly launched, scalable businesses that address specific problems through innovative solutions. Each startup follows a unique path and faces its own challenges, and they evolve and grow through a journey of experimentation, setbacks, and breakthroughs. No other type of business undergoes such an intense, fast-paced journey, making startups the ultimate crash test for the economy. As the EU strives to revitalise innovation across the continent, Allied for Startups is advocating for policies that are tailored to the startup experience. By mapping out the startup journey and addressing policy challenges at each stage, we can ensure that the EU Startup Scale-up Strategy meets the real needs of startups. Here are key policy proposals found in the AFS Startup Journey: - Idea stage: Public tender specifications should be mission and outcome-based, allowing flexibility for startups to develop dual-use solutions and drive innovation. Additionally, public procurement tenders should be simplified and harmonised. Furthermore, EU grant applications remain slow and burdensome, with a significant proportion of the funding eaten up by consultants and reporting requirements. As a result, beneficiaries end up spending more time navigating bureaucracy than driving innovation. Moreover, these grants should not hinder startups access to foreign investment or M&A opportunities. - Starting up stage: The European Commission should require member states to process startup-backed visa applications within one month and allow digital submission of documents to help fast-moving companies attract global talent. - Acceleration stage: Introduce a 28th legal regime accessible to startups, reducing legal costs and providing a consistent EU-wide framework without changing national laws. This would allow scaling and access to the European single market. As part of this, the EU should introduce a "one time, last time" principle, whereby documentation/certification filed in one Member State is automatically recognised throughout the EU. Under the 28th regime, build a digital platform that allows companies to be governed and managed fully online, reducing administrative burdens, especially for cross-border investments, which would particularly benefit Europe's smaller ecosystems. - Global Expansion stage: The EU should establish a framework that incentivises Member States to align the regulation of pension funds and other institutional investors with Europe's innovation and growth objectives. - Exit stage: Further harmonisation and simplification of listing requirements and reporting standards across EU markets will create a more seamless and efficient investment environment. In addition, establishing an EU-wide trading platform for the smallest 20% of European public companies across different EU stock exchanges would streamline trading, increase liquidity, and improve access to finance for startups, while reducing costs. Additionally, the EU should address the multiple overlapping regulatory reviews for M&A between different jurisdictions, which increase transaction costs and uncertainty. By harmonising review criteria and creating a streamlined approval process, more successful startups can use M&A to scale effectively across Europe.
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Response to Savings and Investments Union

7 Mar 2025

Through its contribution, Allied For Startups (AFS) proposes concrete ideas on how the EU can strengthen its exit markets through (1) Reducing Market Fragmentation, (2) Unleashing European Savings, and (3) Encouraging FDI. Europes innovation future hinges on the Savings and Investment Union. With the U.S. and China leading global innovation, Europes fragmented and overregulated capital markets weaken the economy and stifle innovation. If left unaddressed, this gap could soon cost Europe 1 trillion annually in lost market value. One structural issue is the lack of capital, with 69% of European startups and 61% of scale-ups reporting access to finance as the key obstacle to growth. To build a strong capital market and a robust VC sector, Europe will need to reform its exit markets, especially as research has shown that IPOs and exits are the strongest driver of VC investment. Sadly, EU markets are currently in a spiral where weak venture capital is a major factor in encouraging European start-ups to relocate outside Europe. As an example, globally, the EU only accounts for 5% of global VC funds raised, compared to 52% in the US, 40% in China, and 3% in the UK. This in turn is causing less IPOs in Europe, further weakening the exit markets. In 2021 alone, the U.S. witnessed more tech IPOs than the EU managed to generate between 2015 and 2023, resulting in an economic loss in the EU of $439 billion. This is capital that could have gone into strengthening the European VCs and innovation. Today, 30% of European unicorns (scale-ups valued over 1 billion), and 15% of scale-ups have relocated abroad. This is compared to 9% of US scale-ups relocating and 12% in London. Adding to this, Europe only holds a small fraction of the world's scale-ups, 8% compared to North America 60%, meaning each relocation is extra harmful to the ecosystem. But who can blame a founder, who has invested all of their capital, time and energy in their business, for relocating to the market where they are more likely to get the returns they seek? Because, according to the European Investment Bank, while EU scale-ups that list abroad tend to raise less capital initially, they often achieve higher valuations, ultimately leading to higher returns for investors. Additionally, relocated EU scale-ups are also more likely to undergo an IPO or M&A, and over 30% of the relocated EU-founded companies are acquired, compared to just 15% of those that stay, making relocation to the U.S. a more attractive path for investors seeking returns. As founders want a return on their investment, the U.S. is clearly a more attractive choice. The figures also suggest that European companies are less willing to engage in M&A activity, and that the European regulatory environment is characterised by high uncertainty, cost and administrative burden, contributing to the exodus of EU startups. M&A activity also benefits scale-ups looking to accelerate their growth. Scale-ups that acquire more than five companies per year grow at twice as fast as those that complete fewer deals. This has become a common practice to scale in Europe. If the EU is to close the innovation gap, it must adopt a bottom-up approach that empowers innovation by recognising the uniqueness of startups. Every startup progresses through five key stages: ideation, startup, acceleration, global expansion, and exit, either through an IPO, M&A or insolvency. Understanding this journey has been a key factor in building some of the world's most successful ecosystems, including Silicon Valley. This makes startups the real crash test of the economy. As IPOs and M&A are key pillars in building strong and resilient capital markets, and serve as key pillars of a successful VC climate, europe's weak exit markets are actively contributing to innovation brain drain. This outflow disrupts the flow of capital into the European innovation ecosystem, creating a negative cycle that risks driving even more businesses to relocate.
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Allied for Startups demands distinct recognition in Single Market reform

31 Jan 2025
Topic — A consultation on reforming the Single Market to improve European global competitiveness.
Message — Allied for Startups urges the Commission to distinguish startups from SMEs and harmonize cross-border rules. They propose an innovation 'stress test' and 'regulatory ladder' to match compliance with company growth.123
Why — Harmonized rules and simplified compliance would lower costs and accelerate international expansion for startups.4
Impact — Larger, established firms lose their disproportionate influence over Single Market policy and regulations.5
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Meeting with Eero Heinäluoma (Member of the European Parliament) and European Biodiesel Board and

24 Sept 2024 · Current Affairs

Allied For Startups warns against detrimental EU network fees

28 Jun 2024
Topic — A consultation on how to master Europe’s future digital infrastructure needs.
Message — Allied For Startups urges the Commission to maintain the current digital infrastructure framework. They advocate for upholding net neutrality to ensure startups can compete fairly. The group strongly opposes network fees, which they claim would stifle innovation.12
Why — Avoiding new fees ensures stability and prevents financial barriers for small digital businesses.3
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Meeting with Moritz Körner (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Apr 2024 · startups and innovation in Europe

Meeting with Isabel Benjumea Benjumea (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Apr 2024 · Startups

Allied For Startups Urges Regulatory Stability Over New Rules

7 Feb 2024
Topic — A review of the General Data Protection Regulation six years after its implementation.
Message — Allied For Startups calls for regulatory stability and consolidation instead of reopening existing laws. They request further harmonisation and clearer guidance to reduce the complexity of legal compliance.12
Why — Maintaining the current framework prevents new cost barriers that disproportionately impact smaller tech firms.3
Impact — Consumers lose because high entry barriers reduce competition and lead to higher market concentration.4
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Meeting with Daniel Mes (Cabinet of Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra)

9 Oct 2023 · Introduction ahead of the Climate for SME & Start ups Dialogue

Meeting with Elena Lizzi (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

9 Oct 2023 · Own-Initiative Report on startups and scale-ups

Meeting with Dragoş Tudorache (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

28 Mar 2023 · Artificial Intelligence

Meeting with Tomislav Sokol (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and The Holomedicine® Association

22 Mar 2023 · European Health Data Space - EHDS

Meeting with Ibán García Del Blanco (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion) and Telefonica, S.A. and

30 Jun 2022 · Joint exchange of views on the Data Act

Meeting with Alexandra Geese (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Salesforce Inc. and Electronic Frontier Foundation

24 May 2022 · Online platform regulation

Meeting with Axel Voss (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

6 Apr 2022 · AI Act

Meeting with Anthony Whelan (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

12 Oct 2021 · Exchange about Europe's digital ambitions with startup communities

Response to Requirements for Artificial Intelligence

13 Jul 2021

AFS Feedback to the European Commission’s regulation proposal on the Artificial Intelligence Act Artificial Intelligence has the potential to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges, ranging from combating climate change to improving people’s everyday lives. Startups are at the forefront of innovation, pioneering new products and services. Developing an AI regulatory framework that incentivises them to innovate in all fields is therefore of paramount importance. Allied for Startups takes stock of the publication of the Artificial Intelligence Act, which will create a common set of EU rules for AI systems but raises questions whether the European Commission’s proposal will do enough to support innovation in high-risk AI sectors. Clarity and clarification Clarity is needed on the definition of high risk use, as innovation in a high risk field is not akin to a high risk use. A clarification of responsibilities and of the roles of AI providers, AI operators and users is also needed. Harmonised regulatory sandboxes Startups are global from day one and as such want to comply with any legislation impacting their business from day one. Allied for Startups supports the introduction of regulatory sandboxes for AI systems in Europe and measures aimed to lower the cost of market entry for startups. However, the introduction of sandboxes should not be the only way for entrepreneurs to have the legal certainty they need to innovate with a high-risk AI application in the EU. Consideration must be given to the time necessary and the resources available to the authorities and the entrepreneurs in this process. Moreover, this framework for sandboxes should be designed and implemented across all Member States in a harmonised manner. Achievable high-risk requirements Looking at the entirety of the requirements, we are worried that these will be overly burdensome for startup entrepreneurs and dissuade them from developing artificial intelligence systems in high-risk areas in Europe. More specifically, we wonder how some of the legislative requirements such as making sure that the data that an AI system is trained is free of errors can be technically feasible. In addition to that, there is uncertainty as to what an appropriate level of accuracy, robustness and cybersecurity of an AI system could be and how this would be assessed. Startups-friendly conformity assessment procedures Conformity assessment procedures should take into account the startup innovation model. Most of the time, startups do not have the resources to wait several weeks to get their AI technology approved. They should be clear and straightforward to avoid double compliance or forum shopping. The timeframe to get the approval from the notifying authorities should not take longer than 4 weeks, as more could endanger the competitiveness of startups working in high-risk AI areas. We ask policymakers to design an Artificial Intelligence Act that is understandable and implementable for startup entrepreneurs. The overall objective of the Artificial Intelligence Act should incentivise startups from all around the world to develop their AI systems - low and high risk - in the European Union. Future-proof AI legislation can give entrepreneurs the legal certainty they need to launch their groundbreaking tool or services in the EU Single Market.
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Response to Digital Services Act package: ex ante regulatory instrument of very large online platforms acting as gatekeepers

3 May 2021

Allied for Startups welcomes the opportunity to give feedback on: “Digital Services Act – ex ante regulatory instrument of very large online platforms acting as gatekeepers”. Please find our comments in the attached document.
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Response to Digital Services Act: deepening the Internal Market and clarifying responsibilities for digital services

29 Mar 2021

Allied for Startups welcomes the opportunity to give feedback on: “Digital Services Act (DSA) – deepening the internal market and clarifying responsibilities for digital services”. Startups are key innovators and competitors in the Digital Single Market. Today, there are about 10,000 high-growth platforms in Europe. Today’s startups are tomorrow’s scale-ups and job creators. Policy makers should design a DSA that empowers startups to fulfill their economic potential. The Digital Services Act can update, harmonise and clarify the E-Commerce Directive, a regulatory framework that has allowed startup ecosystems across Europe to thrive. Just as in other economic sectors, the growth and maturation of the digital economy raise new possibilities and challenges. The Digital Services Act, therefore, has a unique opportunity to identify what has been working well and where adjustments are necessary. The DSA has the potential to offer them the right regulatory framework by: Strengthening the intermediary liability exemption for content uploaded to platforms by their users - This will create legal certainty for startups when they launch their business. Giving startup platforms the opportunity to implement voluntary own initiatives measures beyond what is legally required without losing their liability exemption - This will facilitate the removal of illegal content online and incentivise startups to do what is in their own interest. Harmonising the notice and action mechanisms - This will help startups to navigate across digital markets across Europe. Maintaining the no-monitoring obligations for startups - This will give startups the opportunity to experiment and innovate. Reaffirm the Internal Market Clause (Country-of-Origin principle) - So that startups do not have to scale-up in Europe 27 times. The Digital Services Act should not: Introduce thresholds disincentivizing startup growth - Turning the challenge of scaling up in Europe from a 100-meter sprint to 110-meter hurdles. Undermine the Country-of-Origin principle, including with diverging enforcement bodies and measures. Lead to excessive administrative burdens - The total cost of compliance with the DSA should not discourage startups from launching and scaling a business in the EU. Ideally, the cost of complying with the DSA should be lower than the potential savings achieved, encouraging widespread adoption and implementation. Allied for Startups is a worldwide network of over 40 advocacy organisations focused on improving the policy environment for startups. We are working together to create a consensus on policies that can positively impact startups and grow the digital entrepreneurship and digital economy at large. Our mission is to ensure that the voices of startups are heard in government.
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Response to A European Health Data Space

2 Feb 2021

Allied for Startups welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to create the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Our members believe that the EHDS has strong potential to support the digitization of health and care, accelerate digital health innovation and boost the global competitiveness of European startups innovating in healthcare. For digital health startups, the stated aim of the EHDS to reduce barriers to digital health innovation is promising. To facilitate the development of an EHDS that empowers startups, we are sharing our perspective on the key priorities that are important for startups and digital health communities. In our view, the essential pillars are: (1) Health data access, (2) Digital interoperability in healthcare, and (3) Common approaches to regulatory pathways and reimbursements. Health data access - Establishing a harmonized framework for secondary health data sharing and re-use in the EU is the first vital step in reducing fragmentation and creating a level playing field for digital health innovators, especially startups developing and testing AI applications. - Measures supporting data altruism and public-private partnerships could further enhance the sustainable development of digital health solutions. - Collecting and making publicly available statistics, such as how many people in Europe have certain diseases and conditions, could help startups plan the potential reach and costs of their products. Digital interoperability in healthcare - Supporting the adoption of interoperable electronic health records is key to enabling data portability and patients’ right to access and share their records. Limited digital interoperability remains a significant barrier to doctors and patients using telemedicine platforms. - Adopting the European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format and enabling the exchange of patient summaries and ePrescriptions are important for enhancing the provision of cross-border healthcare as well as for expanding the scope of what telehealth providers can integrate into their products. - Providing adequate support for the uptake of digital products and digital infrastructure by health care providers is paramount to ensuring the benefits of digital technologies benefit citizens. Common approaches to regulatory pathways and reimbursements - Developing common approaches to regulatory compliance and certification procedures contribute to creating favourable conditions to foster innovation in healthcare. As startups often have limited resources to navigate complex regulations in each Member State separately, the scaling of digital health products is often a longer and more costly process than necessary. - Developing an EU-level framework for the reimbursements and insurance coverage of digital health products and services would provide enormous benefits to the sustainable growth of digital health across Europe. The Member States are developing rules at a significantly different pace, and the pathways to reimbursement differ greatly for startups in emerging fields such as telemedicine or digital therapeutics. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of healthcare and highlighted the barriers to cross-border health innovation. This momentum provides an opportunity to work towards ensuring that startups have all they need to support health care systems, empower patients and scale up their solutions in Europe. The EHDS can play an important role in addressing critical challenges the digital health ecosystem is facing. At Allied for Startups, we will continue to provide feedback on behalf of digital health startups and engage our members in the discussions shaping the EHDS and the path towards a stronger Health Union.
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Response to Legislative framework for the governance of common European data spaces

29 Jan 2021

For a founder, an idea and a dataset are the key ingredients for a successful startup. Data enables entrepreneurs to test, refine and develop products and services for the businesses and consumers that use them. As a non-rivalrous good, data can benefit many users and has no scarcity. Access to data, both within and outside Europe, is vital for startups. The Data Strategy should focus on giving startups the ingredients they need and removing obstacles between startups and their users. In the context of post-COVID-19 recovery, there should be an amplified interest in giving startups - the creators of jobs and innovation - the framework they need to scale. The ambition of this regulation should be that in 10 years startup entrepreneurs report that their success was possible because of the Data Governance Act! Allied for Startups welcomes the European’s Commission’s ambitions to strengthen a Single Market for data by increasing its availability. Harmonisation of the regulatory framework for data access across Europe, so startups do not need to scale-up 27 times, is one field where the Data Governance Act has potential for startup ecosystems. Allied for Startups also welcomes the announcement of the creation of mechanisms for the donation of data for altruistic purposes. Keeping in mind the areas in which the proposed legislation can support startups, the scope and role of data intermediaries could be further clarified. Specifically, where has the systemic lack of trust been identified and how intermediaries will lead to a net gain for the actors involved (as opposed to an increased costs or administrative overhead)? Startups have less resources than established market players. Whenever a potential administrative layer is added in between startups and consumers/businesses, a cost/benefit analysis on the potential impact on startup ecosystems needs to be conducted. Adding extra layers to the process of accessing data would create a competitive disadvantage for smaller businesses. For startups scaling to Europe, the process of finding and engaging with an intermediary will increase costs and consume resources, which has adverse effects on Europe’s attractiveness on innovation from abroad. Startups think global from day 1. To them, seamless data transfers across the globe comes naturally. Restricting international access to data sets an unnecessary barrier to the flow of non-personal sensitive data to third countries. Given startups’ focus on scaling quickly, the proposed a priori ‘third country assessment’ by the Commission could add uncertainty to this process. This process could become costly and time-sensitive for startups, who often run on stringent deadlines. In preparation for the Data Act, Allied for Startups encourages the European Commission to ‘think startup first’. Any process to improve access data should be transparent, clear and concise, in order for startups to navigate the process seamlessly as well as be coherent with other legislation in the field.
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Response to Digital Services Act package: ex ante regulatory instrument of very large online platforms acting as gatekeepers

30 Jun 2020

Allied for Startups welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Inception Impact Assessment concerning the ex ante regulatory instrument of the Digital Services Act package. Please find attached our feedback and do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Allied for Startups is a worldwide network of over 40 advocacy organisations focused on improving the policy environment for startups. We are working together to create a consensus on policies that can positively impact startups and grow digital entrepreneurship and the digital economy at large. Our mission is to ensure that the voices of startups are heard in government.
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Response to Digital Services Act: deepening the Internal Market and clarifying responsibilities for digital services

30 Jun 2020

Allied for Startups welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Inception Impact Assessment of the Digital Services Act package. Please find attached our feedback and do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Allied for Startups is a worldwide network of over 40 advocacy organisations focused on improving the policy environment for startups. We are working together to create a consensus on policies that can positively impact startups and grow digital entrepreneurship and the digital economy at large. Our mission is to ensure that the voices of startups are heard in government.
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Meeting with Filomena Chirico (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton)

23 Apr 2020 · Upcoming DSA proposals and impact on startups

Meeting with Daniel Braun (Cabinet of Vice-President Věra Jourová), Marie Frenay (Cabinet of Vice-President Věra Jourová)

26 Mar 2020 · Artificial intelligence

Meeting with Keith Sequeira (Cabinet of Commissioner Carlos Moedas)

12 Apr 2018 · Start-ups and Innovation

Meeting with Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

26 Jan 2018 · DSM general, copyright, ePrivacy

Response to Fairness in platform-to-business relations

20 Nov 2017

See file attached
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Meeting with Daniel Braun (Cabinet of Commissioner Věra Jourová)

21 Sept 2016 · Data protection

Meeting with Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

18 Apr 2016 · Platforms

Meeting with Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

18 Feb 2016 · DSM, startups

Meeting with Kilian Gross (Digital Economy)

16 Feb 2016 · DSM

Meeting with Juhan Lepassaar (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

5 Feb 2016 · DSM

Meeting with Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

9 Dec 2015 · DSM