#AFS

Q4 Projects and Priorities

September 1, 2022
Projects and Priorities

We’re back after a restful summer break, fully recharged and excited to jump back in on our projects ahead. Entering the last quarter of 2022, we take a look at Allied for Startups’ exciting upcoming activities.

Allied for Startups Annual Summit 2022

Allied for Startups will be hosting its Annual Summit in October 2022! After two years in which we have held the Summit online we are excited to host our Members  in Brussels for our two-day Summit. Highlights will include our Members shaping and voting on Allied for Startups 2023 Mandate, curated panel discussions with European policy makers and leading startup ecosystem builders, networking opportunities, and of course – the Annual AFS Dinner, bringing our Membership, policy makers, and the tech community together. Stay tuned for more details soon!

AFS Expansion – We’re Hiring!

Our team is expanding! We are growing the Brussels team  Director of EU Policy: Allied for Startups is seeking a full-time Director of EU Policy to join our international and dynamic team in Brussels! This high-profile opportunity reports directly to the CEO and requires a thoughtful, articulate, energetic self-starter. Global Privacy and Data Flows Fellow: We’re looking for a data startupper: a self-starter, independent, motivated and tech-savvy individual. As our data flows fellow, your main tasks will be to build bridges between policy makers, startups, and industry, thereby setting the scene and building the backbone of impactful data policy campaigns through research and writing, and building connections. Take a closer look at the Vacancy Notice here.

Global Growth 

Allied for Startups is also expanding geographically! We were born almost a decade ago and our Membership growth mirrors the increased need for startup representation at the policy table. Our recently opened office in Latin America will continue diving into exciting projects to empower startups – such as the Fintech Charter providing policymakers with best practices that benefit the startup ecosystem, and our seat in the working group for the Cybersecurity Law in the Mexican Congress, where we will keep ensuring startups are included in the conversation. Stay tuned! 

Policy

In the coming months, we’ll be following the DSA and DMA, now entering the implementation stage with the Commission coming up with technical rules and Member States incorporating them. We may see a further technical DSA vote in the autumn on some outstanding issues! The Artificial Intelligence Act discussions in the European institutions will continue throughout the autumn, with a final law likely to emerge early next year. Liability issues are still likely to be in focus with both the General Product Safety Directive (GPSR) and the new Product Liability Directive (PLD) both of which will have an impact on marketplaces and online stores. And last but not least! the Data Act:  which aims to provide a framework for non personal data and could have a significant impact on all companies using data. Work on this file will move toward a vote in the European Parliament in December. 

Verticals 

With increasing interest by our Membership to explore specific startup sectors, we are expanding our policy practice into different thematic areas such as sustainability and the future of money, stay tuned for dedicated verticals!

On the digital health front, we’ll be continuing our Fitness Check series in our next Member State: France! This is an opportunity to map out the French healthtech ecosystem and reveal areas for improvement to best empower digital health innovators with the tools to succeed – are you a healthtech entrepreneur in the French market or a stakeholder with knowledge in the field? Reach out to us here! We’re also excited to be hosting our 3rd DTx Congress in December – an opportunity to bring Europe’s leading healthtech entrepreneurs, policymakers, and ecosystem builders together in Brussels to discuss the future of healthtech innovation in Europe!

Looking forward to the months and projects ahead!