IRS raises business mileage rate to 76 cents from July 1, 2026
The IRS made a rare mid-year adjustment, raising the optional standard business mileage rate to 76 cents per mile for travel on or after July 1, 2026, up from 72.5 cents January 1…
Founders News
Founders News, with a "so what for me?"
Page 22 of 39. Curated founder updates, each a verified fact plus a clear angle.
Retail rents hit $24.79/sq ft in Q2 2026 as availability stays tight at 4.9%
CBRE's Q2 2026 U.S. Retail report shows average asking rent rose 2.4% year-over-year to $24.79 per sq. ft., with the availability rate unchanged at a tight 4.9% after four straight…
Cabinet clears India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with Rs 1.27 lakh cr, startup design grants
On July 15, 2026 the Union Cabinet approved India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 with a Rs 1,27,500 crore outlay. It uses a grant-plus-equity model for smaller startups designing…
NSW MVP Ventures awards $1M to 22 startups; grants up to $75,000
The NSW Government's revamped MVP Ventures Program awarded $1 million across 22 startups (from 322 applications), with individual grants ranging from $24,225 to $75,000. The progra…
Ottawa commits $13.85M to 63 Quebec AI projects under Regional AI Initiative
On July 15, 2026, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) announced $13,852,374 through the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) for 63 Quebec organizati…
US office vacancy eases to 17.7% in June 2026 as conversions accelerate
CommercialCafe's national office report (July 2026) put the US office vacancy rate at 17.7% in June, down 170 basis points year-over-year, with average asking rent of $33.67/sq ft…
Techstars Founder Catalyst Fall 2026: free, equity-free virtual pre-accelerator
Techstars is running its Founder Catalyst Global Fall 2026 pre-accelerator, a 10-week, fully virtual, non-equity and free program from Sept 22 to Nov 27, 2026. Applications close A…
US office-to-apartment conversions hit a record in 2026
Office-to-residential conversion activity reached a record high in 2026, with Yardi Matrix tracking roughly 11.8 million square feet completed or under construction as elevated off…
SEBI waives first-scheme filing fee, cuts AIF launch timeline to 10 working days
SEBI notified the AIF (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on 14 July 2026, exempting an Alternative Investment Fund's first scheme from scheme filing fees and cutting the advance…
August 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 and EB-5 India stay unavailable, EB-1 India near cutoff
The State Department's August 2026 Visa Bulletin keeps EB-2 India and EB-5 (unreserved) India 'Unavailable' for the rest of the fiscal year, with EB-1 India warned it may become un…
NSW MVP Ventures backs 22 startups with $1M; Round 3 now in assessment
On 14 July 2026 the NSW Government announced 22 startups and small businesses would share more than $1 million under Round 2 of the 2025-26 MVP Ventures Program. The program offers…
Australia sets up Office of AI in PM&C to build a national AI framework
On 14 July 2026, PM Anthony Albanese announced a new Office of AI inside the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to coordinate 'Australian standards' for AI and end the go…
Y Combinator opens Winter 2027 batch applications, deadline Nov 2
Y Combinator is accepting applications for its Winter 2027 batch, with a deadline of November 2, 2026 at 8pm PT and decisions returned by December 11, 2026. The batch runs January…
Missouri enacts Angel Investor Tax Credit: 40% (50% rural) on startup investments
Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Missouri's Angel Investor Tax Credit into law on July 13, 2026. For tax years starting Jan 1, 2027, investors earn a credit worth 40% of a qualified investme…
NZ R&D Experience Grant open now, closes 9am Mon 24 Aug 2026
Applications for MBIE Innovation Services' R&D Experience Grant opened 13 July 2026 and close at 9am Monday 24 August 2026 (or earlier if funding runs out); it subsidises hiring a…
IRS raises business mileage rate to 76 cents/mile from July 1, 2026
The IRS (announced July 13, 2026) increased the standard business mileage rate to 76 cents per mile effective July 1, 2026, up from 72.5 cents at the start of the year; medical/mov…
UK expands Growth Guarantee Scheme: £2bn more SME lending a year, terms up to 10 years
On 13 July 2026 HM Treasury announced an expansion of the British Business Bank's Growth Guarantee Scheme, adding £2bn of supported SME lending a year by 2028/29 to reach £3.35bn a…
NZ R&D Experience Grant: up to NZ$11,960 to hire a STEM student intern
Innovation Services (administered by MBIE) funds up to NZ$11,960 plus GST for a 400-hour, 10-week full-time student R&D internship at a minimum NZ$29.90/hour. The 2026/27 round ope…
UK expands Growth Guarantee Scheme, adds £500m ENABLE line for IP-rich startups
On 13 July 2026 the government expanded the British Business Bank's Growth Guarantee Scheme, raising maximum loan terms from 6 to 10 years and turnover eligibility from £45m to £54…
NZ Health & Safety Amendment Act lets small firms (<20 workers) focus on critical risks
The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 13 July 2026, with the main changes taking effect 1 April 2027. It creates a new 'small PCBU' category for…