Helping ecosystem leaders design strategies and policies to win in the AI era

Ecosystems are missing out on billions in AI-driven value

Most AI policies today focus on infrastructure, data centers, and research partnerships. While vital, these often generate returns elsewhere. Without an entrepreneurial lens, nations risk investing heavily in AI yet missing the startup-led growth it enables.

The benefits are highly concentrated: Silicon Valley attracts more AI funding than all European ecosystems combined. At the same time, startup ecosystems worldwide have lost up to 80% of their Ecosystem Value in the last two years.

Governments face a critical question: how can they safeguard jobs and innovation while ensuring AI-native entrepreneurship thrives locally?

Solution: A global alliance for Entrepreneurial AI Policy

Startup Genome created the Entrepreneurial AI Policy Alliance to help governments close this gap—ensuring they don’t just invest in AI infrastructure, but capture the startup growth and economic value it unlocks. Members join a two-year global collaboration built around three pillars:

Policy Development & Advisory – Co-develop high-impact AI startup policies across funding, talent, programs, compute, and community.
Policy Benchmarking & Ecosystem Intelligence – Access continuous, comparative data on AI readiness, startup creation, and investment flows.
Global Positioning & Visibility – Showcase your ecosystem as an AI policy pioneer in Startup Genome’s global reports and platforms.

By sharing insights and aligning policy levers, members unlock the capacity to turn AI disruption into startup creation and new ecosystem value.

Highlights

$2M

RESEARCH VALUE

10+

INNOVATION LEADERS

40+

MEMBER ECOSYSTEMS

Chris Haley

Head of Research, Startup Genome

Most countries aren’t short of AI initiatives—they’re short of AI-native entrepreneurship. Without policies that help founders build on this technology, governments risk losing billions in future ecosystem value.

eAI Policy Alliance

A Leadership Council of global policy innovators

The Alliance’s Leadership Council brings together top innovation and policy leaders from across the world to steer its research and direction. Current participants include representatives from:

JF Gauthier I Founder and CEO, Startup Genome

A seasoned Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, JF is the world-leading voice in innovation ecosystem development, having advised more than 100 governments in 60 countries. He has founded five businesses and led others across two continents and three sectors (Tech, Life Sciences, and Cleantech). He is an angel investor and previously worked in corporate innovation, advising several of the world's largest tech companies.

Dan Herman, PhD I Strategic Advisor, Startup Genome

Toronto-based advisor to governments around the world on innovation and startup policy, as well as a lecturer at the University of Toronto. He is the former head of innovation policy for Canada's Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and former CEO of Intellectual Property Ontario.

Bjoern Herrmann I Former head of AI for Sage

An AI entrepreneur and researcher with over 15 years of experience, Bjoern has led multiple technology ventures focused on data and AI-driven products. He co-founded Compass, which sold to Sage, and later headed Sage’s company-wide AI transformation. A founder of the original Startup Genome Project and Blackbox Accelerator, he has worked extensively on startup success analytics and continues to mentor founders and advise investors on AI product strategy and scaling.

Daria Siegel I Senior Vice President of Innovation Industries at NYCEDC

As Senior Vice President of Innovation Industries at NYC Economic Development Corporation, Daria leads the city’s strategy for AI/ML, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, and Fintech. She has built programs that expand equitable access to emerging tech industries while growing New York’s innovation economy. With a background spanning urban planning and community-driven innovation, she has helped shape one of the most active AI policy and startup environments in North America.

Hyun Woo Kim, PhD I CEO, Seoul Business Agency

Dr. Kim is CEO of the Seoul Business Agency and one of South Korea’s foremost voices in digital and startup policy. With a PhD in Entrepreneurship, he has led several national initiatives in media, blockchain, and innovation investment, earning multiple Presidential and Prime Minister’s awards. His books on the creator economy and blockchain technology have helped frame South Korea’s policy discourse on the future of AI and digital industries.

Johannes Velling, PhD I Director General, NRW's Ministry of Economic Affairs

As Director General at North Rhine-Westphalia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy, Dr. Velling oversees startup finance and the digitalization of Germany’s largest regional economy. He previously designed federal venture and startup programs, including High-Tech Gründerfonds and EXIST, which have collectively funded thousands of early-stage companies. His leadership continues to shape Germany’s innovation and AI-readiness strategies.

Jongwoo Kim I Director, Seoul Business Agency

A long-time champion of Seoul’s innovation economy, Jongwoo Kim directs the Startup Division at the Seoul Business Agency, driving initiatives to scale high-growth startups and strengthen the city’s AI and digital capabilities. Since joining SBA in 2002, he has led key divisions for R&D and SME support and has been recognized with commendations from the Mayor of Seoul and Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

Josh Lerner I Harvard Business School

The Jacob H. Schiff Professor at Harvard Business School, Josh is the world’s leading academic authority on venture capital and innovation policy. He co-directs the HBS Private Capital Project and NBER Productivity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Program, and founded the Private Capital Research Institute. For over three decades, his research has shaped how governments, investors, and corporations approach startup and AI investment worldwide.

Kate Cornick, PhD I CEO, Launchvic

As CEO of LaunchVic, Victoria’s innovation agency, Kate has transformed the region’s startup sector into a major contributor to the Australian economy. A founder-turned-investor with a PhD in optical telecommunications, she leads venture funds dedicated to women founders and AgTech startups, and advises national R&D strategy. Her leadership in both technology and policy makes her a key voice in advancing AI-driven economic growth.

Yael Mazuz-Harpaz I VP and Head of Policy, Israel Innovation Authority

Yael serves as VP and Head of Policy at the Israel Innovation Authority, leading national policy design for AI, biotech, and digital industries. With senior experience in both startups and government, she previously oversaw operations at Ukko, an Israeli-American biotech venture pioneering AI-based treatments for food allergies. Her expertise bridges public policy and deep-tech commercialization, advancing Israel’s leadership in AI innovation.

Ziv Katzir I Head of Israel’s National Program for AI Infrastructure, IIA

As Head of Israel’s National Program for AI Infrastructure at the Israel Innovation Authority, Ziv leads the country’s flagship initiative to strengthen AI R&D and commercialization capacity. A former CTO at Verint’s Cyber Intelligence division (later spun off as Cognyte), he brings 15 years of AI and data-driven innovation experience from the private sector. He is completing a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at Ben-Gurion University, specializing in AI infrastructure strategy and policy integration.

What Members gain from joining the Alliance

Entrepreneurial AI policy delivers measurable results

Governments that shift from traditional AI strategies to founder-focused approaches see faster startup creation, stronger private investment, and higher ecosystem value retention. eAIPA helps members build policies that translate AI investment into local growth and jobs.

Global collaboration accelerates policy impact

By uniting leading innovation agencies, ministries, and development organizations, the Alliance accelerates peer learning and policy innovation. Shared data and frameworks enable members to benchmark progress and implement what works across diverse economies.

Evidence replaces assumption in policymaking

Every eAIPA initiative is grounded in Startup Genome’s proprietary research and real-world data from ecosystem partners. This ensures policies are built on proven success factors rather than speculation—reducing risk and increasing return on public investment.

Global visibility attracts capital and talent

Members gain international recognition through Startup Genome’s reports, events, and thought leadership, positioning their ecosystems as emerging hubs for AI-native innovation. Visibility in global rankings helps attract investors, founders, and strategic partners.

Curious how these insights could apply to your ecosystem?

Every success starts with a deep understanding of local context and a commitment to measurable outcomes. Let’s explore how we can collaborate on a similar project.

Helping ecosystem leaders design strategies and policies to win in the AI era

Solution: A global alliance for Entrepreneurial AI Policy

What Members gain from joining the Alliance

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