startup funding and proportionate regulation with ACT in London
MyPrintPod joined ACT | The App Association members in London for policy discussions on startup funding, overregulation and the needs of small technology businesses.
on Wednesday 10 September 2025, myprintpod joined members of ACT | The App Association in London for a day of policy engagement focused on startups, small technology businesses and the wider app economy.
the day began with a productive roundtable with Julia Lopez MP, the new shadow minister for science, innovation and technology.
the discussion focused on issues that matter directly to early-stage companies: access to funding, investment gaps, and the impact that poorly designed regulation can have on the smallest businesses in the technology ecosystem.
why this matters to myprintpod
myprintpod is building a manufacturing business around additive manufacturing, recycled materials, per-part CO₂e tracking and practical circularity.
that puts us at the intersection of several policy areas:
- startup funding
- digital adoption
- sustainable manufacturing
- data and reporting
- technology regulation
- SME growth
for small businesses, regulation has to be proportionate. It needs to protect people and create fair markets, without accidentally making it harder for innovative companies to grow.
early-stage funding and the gap to traction
one of the strongest themes from the roundtable was the funding gap faced by early-stage startups.
government-backed schemes can help businesses begin, but many companies still face a difficult gap between early support and the point where they have enough traction to attract larger investment.
that gap matters because it is often where promising technology businesses either build momentum or stall.
for companies like myprintpod, patient funding and practical support can make the difference between a good technical idea and a scalable commercial service.
regulation and small business impact
the discussion also covered overregulation and the effect it can have on small companies.
large organisations can often absorb compliance cost. Small businesses cannot.
when regulation is unclear, expensive or badly targeted, the impact falls hardest on the companies with the smallest teams and the least spare capacity.
that does not mean avoiding regulation. It means designing rules that are clear, proportionate and based on real evidence from the businesses affected.
continuing the conversation
the roundtable was followed by ACT’s H-App-y Hour reception for parliamentary staffers, bringing together policy discussion, small business experience and a good amount of conversation about London travel disruption.
thank you to ACT | The App Association for organising the day, to Julia Lopez MP for the roundtable discussion, and to the ACT members who travelled to London to share their experience.
for myprintpod, the message is consistent: SMEs need to be in the room when policy is shaped, because they are often the businesses most affected by the details.
#ACT #Startups #SMEs #Innovation #Technology #Regulation