Association for Competitive Technology

Tech Founders and Startups Across Europe Gathered in Brussels to Engage with Policymakers

Annual Global App Economy Conference Shares Top SME Tech Policy Priorities with EU Leaders

Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Twenty-two founders and tech startup leaders representing 19 ACT member companies from 11 countries across the European Union (EU) traveled to Brussels this week for in-person meetings with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union.

Founders, startups, scaleups, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) know better than anyone the practical impacts of regulation. As EU regulators continue to promote a competitiveness agenda, reshaping how digital rules are implemented and enforced, direct insight from startups, scaleups, and SMEs is invaluable.

‘We stand at a crucial moment for Europe’s innovation ecosystem’, said Mike Sax, founder and chairman of ACT. ‘Startups, scaleups, and SMEs are the backbone of Europe’s economic strength. The choices made now will determine whether the Single Market becomes a place for European companies to grow or wither’.

During meetings, ACT and its member companies focused on five priorities:

1. Removing barriers to cross-border expansion and scaling within the Single Market
2. Simplifying and consolidating overlapping rules and fragmented enforcement
3. Ensuring SMEs can utilise technical standards without threat of injunction or extortionate licensing demands
4. Protecting the vibrant and competitive digital ecosystem on which millions of European startups and SMEs rely
5. Balancing the strengthening of consumer protection while maintaining flexibility for innovative businesses

ACT Member Companies attending Global App Economy Conference:

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About ACT:
ACT is a global technology trade association representing startups, scaleups, and small and medium-sized enterprises. We work directly with our members worldwide to advocate for a policy environment that takes into account their real-world challenges and supports innovation, access to capital, job creation, and the ability of small technology companies to grow and compete globally.

About ACT’s Global App Economy Conference

For nearly two decades, ACT’s Global App Economy Conferences (GAEC) has brought our startup and small tech members together for three days of founder-to-founder networking and direct engagement with policymakers on the rules shaping the digital economy. By giving startups, scaleups, and tech-driven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access and resources to share their stories directly with policymakers, our members can advocate for clear, streamlined rules that allow innovative companies to build and scale across borders. Read more about our GAEC: EU 2026 policy priorities: Global App Economy Conference – 2026

Jack Fleming Association for Competitive Technology 3108467789 jfleming@actonline.org