In 2019, in the wake of European elections, we set ourselves the goal of forming an Intergroup on startups and scale-ups in the European Parliament. Our Europe💙Startups campaign gathered more than 50 MEPs. Our initial idea didn’t quite materialise but we realised that we had assembled a network of tech-savvy and startupper MEPs. Always true to our startup nature we pivoted, went underground and created: The Rocket Club! 

At Allied for Startups, we firmly believe that entrepreneurs and policy makers alike can benefit from a closer bond, regardless of political colours and committees. The objective of our initiative is therefore to establish a closer dialogue and deep collaboration between Europe’s innovative communities and policy makers. We can’t think of a better time to re-launch the Rocket Club as startups have had a key role during the pandemic and ensuing lockdown, from food delivery to online consultations. As pivotal economic actors, startups also have the potential to become the bedrock of the future economy, providing the green and digital transition the EU strives for. The upcoming legislative package on AI is a prime opportunity to walk the walk and make it easier for AI startups the opportunities to startup and scale-up across Europe.

Startups are all about opportunities, using AI to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Innovation-friendly European rules can unleash AI startups by providing a clear framework for them to scale in Europe. For that reason, Allied for Startups will be hosting a virtual discussion between AI entrepreneurs and MEPs on the 18th of November at 11 AM CET. 

We will discuss the EU’s policy objectives on AI and what startups think of it. We will discuss the European Commission’s proposal to make a distinction between high and low risk AI, what this means for startups and how the liability framework would affect the startup ecosystem. 

One of our goals is that every MEP in the Rocket Club will know at least 3 startups from their own region. We hope this conversation will make a contribution to this target! 

You can register for the event here.