Founders Comms’ Post

The election has come and gone which means a new government presents a unique opportunity for #startups and #scaleups... Now is the time to invest in policy and government relations. To make the most of the changes, it's important to understand and determine the policy areas that matter for your company. Read our latest article from Founders Comms to learn more 👇  #WhereTheFutureUnfolds #FoundersForum #FoundersComms #policy #government

I fully agree with Christian May that the #Labour government needs to step up its support for the #startup ecosystem, a topic we’ve both discussed extensively. Take #capitalgains, for instance. In the UK, the rate is 20%, compared to 23.8% in the US (and higher in some states, though there are ways to optimize this, such as through trusts). This is one of the few competitive advantages the UK has when attracting talent compared to the US. However, with a capital gains rate of 39%, it becomes significantly less appealing for global talent. While both the #UK and the US face deep systemic #tax challenges that exacerbate inequalities, adjusting capital gains won’t solve that alone. We need to take a more comprehensive approach that also prioritizes growth. After years of stagnation, it’s time to refocus on growth.

As The Labour Party has reached the finish line in its #GeneralElection race, it faces its next list of challenges: delivering on its promise to better support the UK’s vital #SmallBusiness and #startup sector.     Managing Partner, Daniel Jacob spoke to Richard Parris at Startups.co.uk about what the new Prime Minister will need to prioritise during his first 100 days in office if he is to create an environment where these #businesses can thrive.     For #tech startups, #AIRegulation and fiscal certainty sit at the very top of this wishlist, with hopes that Labour will strike the right balance between bolstering #innovation and maintaining the UK’s competitive edge in this field, whilst also ensuring safety and #security in the #technology’s development.     Its pledge to create a new #RegulatoryInnovationOffice signals a promising first step. Now it must deliver it.     Read the full piece via Startups.co.uk : https://lnkd.in/enjGkj5Z 

🚀Calling All Startup Founders: Shape the Future of Canadian Entrepreneurship With the 🇨🇦 election season approaching, now is the perfect time for founders to unite and push for policies that foster innovation and growth. Join us at NorthstarDAO’s Town Hall, organized in partnership with MaRS Discovery District, to learn how grassroots founders can make a real impact on policy and regulation. 🌱 Why Attend: ✅ Be part of a founder-led movement shaping the future of Canadian innovation. ✅ Equip yourself with tools and insights to influence policy ahead of the election. ✅ Collaborate with like-minded founders to advocate for a thriving startup landscape. 💡 What We’ll Explore: 🔹 Opportunities for Change: Discover how pro-entrepreneurship policies can help your business thrive. 🔹 Actionable Advocacy: Learn practical strategies for founders to influence policy and drive meaningful change. 🔹 The Power of Community: Connect with fellow founders and build a stronger, more supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. 🤝 Don’t miss this chance to make your voice heard and shape policies that support entrepreneurship in Canada. Let’s come together and build a brighter future for Canadian founders! 🌟 #Startups #PolicyChange #NorthstarDAO #Entrepreneurship #Election2024 #Innovation #MaRSDiscoveryDistrict #FounderCommunity https://lnkd.in/gKgYpYre

🚀 Essential Read for Startups: Astrella's Latest Blog on 83(b) Elections 🌟 📣 Attention Founders and Startup Employees! We've just published a pivotal blog: "Why Should Startups File an 83(b) Election?" 🔍 Unraveling the 83(b) Election: For startups navigating the complexities of equity compensation, understanding the 83(b) election is a game changer. This often-overlooked aspect can have significant tax implications for both founders and employees with stock options. 💡 Impact on Founders and Employees: As a founder, making informed decisions about equity can shape the future of your startup. For employees, understanding the 83(b) election can be the difference between a tax burden and a rewarding investment. 📈 Blog Insights: A clear and concise explanation of what an 83(b) election entails. The importance of filing an 83(b) for startup founders and employees. How making an 83(b) election can potentially lead to significant tax savings. 📢 Empower yourself and your team with this knowledge. Sharing insights like these strengthens our startup community, fostering informed decision-making and success. https://lnkd.in/gPGKXRrT #StartupStrategy #83bElection #EquityCompensation #StartupFounders #EmployeeOptions #AstrellaInsights #FinancialLiteracy

HACE has secured £450,000 in pre-seed funding after oversubscribing our round. We are pleased to announce that we have oversubscribed our funding round against the backdrop of a challenging funding environment throughout 2023. Led by Manchester Angels, the funding round includes co-investments from GC Angels, Ada Ventures, Found Capital and individual angel investors. The funding will be used to complete the build of the Child Labour Index, which enables asset managers, wealth managers and institutional investors to proactively identify child labour risk in their portfolio companies and engage with these businesses effectively via our Stewardship Toolkit, to facilitate positive change. We are also announcing a new board of directors, which will be chaired by Eric Solomons, the former Office Managing Partner of audit, tax, and consulting firm, RSM. Eleanor Harry, CEO, says "we want to express our thanks to all of those who have supported or contributed to the raise and the success of HACE more broadly. To be able to oversubscribe the funding round in the current economic conditions is a monumental achievement for HACE and a testament to the growing awareness of the scale of the child labour issue and the role that technology will play in sustainably eradicating it." Contact us for more information at info@thisishace.com ➡ https://lnkd.in/eYpZ6KA6 KPMG | Acceleris, Eoin Broderick and KPMG Law UK, Paul Innella, David Levine, Laurence Grant, Elizabeth Burroughs, Gergő Németh, Ezzat Abdallah, Equal Experts, Exchange at Department , Rich Jones, PR Agency One, Rick Hollister, Asha Hipperson, Joe Lubczynskyj, Simon Case, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Canopy (CISL) #childlabour #childlabor #data #childrights #bizhumanrights #humanrights #technology #startups #ai #innovation #supplychains #funding #manchester #manchestertech #preseed Prolific North PreSeed Now UKTN BusinessCloud Silicon Canals - European Technology News Sifted Deal Lite TechCrunch Tech Funding News TechBlast UK TechRound

The results are in - Labour has won the General Election, but what does this mean for the UK’s technology ecosystem? 🤔 Our Head of Engagement Ali Nicholl features in today’s Startups.co.uk article on what UK businesses need now from our new prime minister 📰 Ali shares his views on why the next government needs to drive our startups and SME economy towards growth and prosperity, and how the UK should be looking towards leveraging AI and data infrastructure to securely and responsibly enable a sustainable future: “We have a generational opportunity to invest in enablers for change” 🌟 ➡️Read Ali’s comments in the full article here: https://shorturl.at/fijQl #Labour #GeneralElection #TechEcosystem #Startups #SMEs #AI #DataInfrastructure #SustainableFuture

"Keir Starmer's in-tray: what UK businesses need now". Thank you Richard Parris at startups.co.uk for including Northern Gritstone's Duncan Johnson among the voices of academic and business leaders in his latest piece. The North needs well-paid high-skilled jobs. We have world-class universities and their spinouts are attracting more investing. That's the right direction. So what else does the North need for its science and tech communities to thrive? Better rail services to connect the innovators, entrepreneurs and investors of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. Right direction, but quicker. Read the full article https://bit.ly/4bzhXxg #profitwithpurpose

Totally agree, Cheryl Mack. This is a war on aspiration by Labor and needs to be stopped. 🛑 If the Labor Government succeeds, it will reduce the investor pool from 16% to under 1%. To give people some context: 1️⃣ Under the current law in Australia, an investor can be deemed sophisticated by an accountant if they have $2.5 million in net assets (including the family home) or earn more than $250,000 gross income in two consecutive years. 2️⃣ The Labor Government is proposing to increase the sophisticated investor test. Were Labor to adopt ASIC’s recommendation, that would result in a net assets test of about $4.5 million (and may exclude the family home) and a gross income test of $450,000 3️⃣ Around 16% of Australians are classified as sophisticated investors under the current law. 4️⃣ If Labor increases to the net assets test of about $4.5 million and a gross income test of $450,000, according to the most recent ATO data available, it is estimated that less than 1% of Australians would qualify as a sophisticated investor. You do not need to be Einstein to understand the implications to start-ups, scaleups, small and medium businesses, investors, the Australian economy and, importantly, aspiration if the investor pool drops from 16% to under 1%. 😲 #investors #startup #scaleup #vcfunding #angelinvesting #angelinvestors #investing #startups

This proposal needs to be rethought - not least because it will further disadvantage female investors, who on average earn less than men and own less assets. Leaving aside the huge increase to the assets test, the massive proposed increase in the income test to $450k/year is regressive and elitist. It slashes those eligibile for Sophisticated Investor status. Decimating availability of seed funding in Australia will also cause significant damage to the startup sector and Australian innovation as a result. Surely an investment education and training test (eg Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship VC Catalyst course and others ) is far more appropriate to demonstrate competence and mitigate risk than an elitist earnings test. Lets not further limit investment options for committed investors who are still diligently saving and building their asset wealth - and not earning astronomical incomes. Would the government have far more positive societal impact by focussing on instigating an assets and income test for gambling eg. on the Pokies, which create many adverse social and economic costs and are a sure fire way for the average person to lose money. #australianinnovation #femaleinvestors #seedfunding #femalefounders #startupfunding AusIndustry