WMUR on Senator Hassan’s New Bipartisan Legislation to Support Innovative Startups

MANCHESTER – In case you missed it, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) visited Measured Air Performance in Manchester to announce bipartisan legislation that she introduced with Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) to support innovative startups in New Hampshire and across the country. The Incubator Network and Startup Success Act would establish a competitive grant program for incubator networks. Incubators help startups by providing resources such as low-cost space, access to capital, business counseling, and mentorship opportunities during their early stages of development. Leaders of Measured Air Performance, founded in 2016, have worked with the New Hampshire Tech Alliance’s incubator to help them grow their business.

Senator Hassan has long made promoting entrepreneurship and supporting innovative businesses a top priority. During her time as governor, she laid out and implemented her Innovate NH plan - including working to hold down the cost of higher education, increasing and making permanent the state R&D tax credit, and launching the award-winning Live Free and Start initiative. As senator, she has introduced a bipartisan bill to expand the federal R&D tax credit for new and small businesses and has hosted an annual Innovate NH Entrepreneurship Forum. The first bill that Senator Hassan introduced in the Senate was the Reigniting Opportunity for Innovators Act, which would help provide student loan relief for entrepreneurs.

See WMUR’s coverage below, or click here.

WMUR: Hassan bill would provide grants, guidance to small businesses

A new proposal from U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is meant to boost federal help to startup companies in New Hampshire.

Measured Air Performance is a small company with only a handful of employees, but company officials said they wouldn't have been successful without some help along the way.

"Particularly in the early stages, the odds are against you when you start a business, especially businesses like ours that are tech-oriented," said Eric Desrochers, of Measured Air Performance.

Hassan chose the company to talk about a bill she's introducing to provide grant money and guidance for small businesses trying to get off the ground.

Measured Air Performance was allowed to grow through a partnership with the New Hampshire Tech Alliance, which mentored managers on how to raise capital.

"Cash is critical and raising money is hard, and to get the attention of an angel group that might see 800-900 business plans a year, to have someone say, 'Steve, here's what we do,' and not only that, but, 'Here's how you need to present it for credibility' is invaluable," said Steve Graves, of Measured Air Performance.

[…] Company officials said they hope to continue to grow, while Hassan said she hopes her bill will help other companies do the same.

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