[Brussels, 11th December 2023, contact [email protected]] Startups across Europe, as smaller economic players with limited resources, will most likely struggle to comply with one of the most complex and burdensome regulatory initiatives to date. For that reason, to ensure that startups remain competitive in the Artificial Intelligence revolution, Allied for Startups (AFS) and Steptoe have signed an agreement to support startup communities in their understanding and legal compliance with the AI Act as it enters into force. 

Speaking about the collaboration, Steptoe AI, Data and Digital Regulation Partner Anne-Gabrielle Haie said: “We are delighted to join forces with Allied for Startups, and to provide our insights on startups’ compliance with the EU AI Act. Steptoe has  longstanding experience in advising startups on how to navigate in the AI, Data and Digital laws space. Startups are a key contributor to innovation and we want to ensure that they can take full advantage of the EU AI Act and they will continue unleashing their potential for business growth and economic development”.

Leveraging its expertise, Steptoe brings an abundance of knowledge and legal acumen to the partnership, as well as a thorough understanding of the legal requirements the AI Act poses. Allied for Startups, on the other hand, brings a decade of experience in understanding startups’ realities and advocating for regulatory frameworks that will allow startups to compete in a global market.

Addressing the collaboration with Steptoe, Allied for Startups’ EU Director, Inés Moreno-Alonso, stated: “We are thrilled to take our advocacy efforts to the next level by co-creating briefings and a simple and reliable checklist that startups can employ to ensure they devote their resources to innovation, not compliance”. 

Steptoe and AFS aim to build a framework for businesses and entrepreneurs that will allow them to become market leaders in the Artificial Intelligence space, and ensure the competitiveness of the European tech ecosystem on a global stage. 

Allied for Startups is a worldwide network of over 40 advocacy organisations focused on improving the policy environment for startups. Our mission is to ensure that the voices of startups are heard in government. For more information on Allied for Startups including a full list of our network, visit the website at www.alliedforstartups.org.

In more than 110 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.

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