Are D.C. Startups Seeding the Next American Revolution?

May 19

From: <re/code>

Part 1 of the Washington Special Series

By Amy Schatz

A thriving tech scene isn’t the first thing people think of when they consider Washington, D.C. Squabbling congresspeople? Check. Officious bureaucrats? Check. Millennials coding away in shared workspaces, churning out cool new technologies? Check. Wait, what? Washington reluctantly embraces change — it’s a risk-averse place. In this Re/code special series, Amy Schatz looks at how some Washingtonians are trying to take advantage of their unique proximity to policymakers to circumvent inefficient regulated industries, as well as those who are embracing new ways of doing things.rn

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Washington may seem like an unlikely tech innovation hub — it’s better known for subcommittees, bickering congressmen and humiliating government tech failures like Healthcare.gov — but the metro area has a long history of employing a lot of tech talent, even if much of it toils for government or military contractors. And as technology has evolved to allow startups to get involved in intimate parts of our daily lives — from “smart” homes and cars to wearables that track our vital signs — the need for companies to be closer to policy makers who set rules to protect consumers has grown exponentially.

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Since much of the regulation in those areas comes from D.C., the idea of 1776 is to connect entrepreneurs with an expanding network of lobbyists, regulators and other local experts who can help them avoid trouble.

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