Many policymakers understand how venture-backed companies are addressing the ongoing pandemic, climate change, deep tech, and other issues. On the other hand, the startup ecosystem is often misunderstood or forgotten and becomes collateral damage as policymakers address another ill in the marketplace.

The main idea: Let’s look at the venture industry’s policy priorities for 2022.

One antitrust bill would affect more than large tech companies – it harms American entrepreneurs who launch new enterprises and are responsible for our economic dynamism.

The big picture: Policymakers must take care to protect the startup model that has made the United States the envy of the world.

An academic study: VC-backed companies are almost solely responsible for corporate innovation and perform nearly half of total U.S. R&D spending across government, academia, and industry.

Why it matters: American policymakers can capitalize on venture expansion to foster innovation.

New research reveals that taxing carried interest at ordinary income rates will harm new venture capital (VC) fund formation in emerging technology regions in the United States.

A deeper look: The study emphasizes that new taxes on carried interest damages economic opportunity.

To tackle cybersecurity, the Biden Administration should redouble engagement with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, which produces the most innovative companies in the world.

Why it matters: Cyber-attacks seem to be in the news every week – ransomware attacks, data manipulation, or other threats from bad actors.

When you think of infrastructure you don’t normally think about technology, but the 2021 infrastructure bill is more than just roads and bridges.

Why it matters: The bill is squarely focused on modernizing our infrastructure through integration of frontier technology.

Innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE) is the principal driver of economic growth among all forms of entrepreneurship.

Impact on VC: Learn how IDE startups drive entrepreneurial economic growth and the critical role of venture capital to IDE startups.

We spoke to Scott Raney, Managing Director at Redpoint, and Sophie Alcorn, Founding Attorney of Alcorn Immigration Law, to explore the benefits of a Startup Visa category.

Impact on VC: The category could provide a pathway for immigrant entrepreneurs who want to come to the U.S. to create a new company.

Congress has stepped up its focus on how our nation’s antitrust laws can be changed to address the power of tech companies.

Driving the news: Instead of making the startup ecosystem collateral damage in this fight, encouraging the creation and growth of new companies across a broad range of industries is the most effective way to increase competition in the U.S. economy.

The VC community has met the rising challenges and opportunities presented by a global pandemic, playing a pivotal role in the country’s economic recovery, and galvanizing an internal industry-facing focus on DEI.

Why it matters: Venture Forward has been there on the frontline of these efforts to create a stronger, more diverse, equitable, and ultimately, a more just VC ecosystem. Check out highlights from Venture Forward’s first year.