DC Inno Beat 5/4: Patriot Act Run-Up, ParkedIn Launches and Broadcast Sports Acquired

Busy day in the DC tech world. Mayor Muriel Bowser swings for the fences with her latest tech campaign and another 1776 startup looks primed to grow...

...Let's Get Started

The Big One (May)

Chris:  Patriot Act: 0, Citizen Privacy: 1. At least so far. Late last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted 25-2 to approve the “USA Freedom Act,” Reuters reported. The bill, carried by a sense of renewed congressional confidence, works to tighten control of what is perhaps the Patriot Act’s most controversial statue, Section 215. The legislation aims to bar the bulk collection of citizen’s telephone records via the Patriot Act by a cohort of intelligence authorities. Now that it has advanced in the House, the bill will be introduced to the Senate and then the White House.

Both representatives in the Senate and the POTUS, himself, would rather see amendments to the Patriot Act than an outright dismantling of it, so that the program can remain a national security tool. Expect this month’s news cycle to revolve around the public perception of it, in addition to the sway of advocacy groups, as we lead up to a decision with the program set to expire at the end of the May.

Eric: While it's great to see some changes in how security agencies are allowed to monitor people, it's worth mentioning that former intelligence operatives told the New York Times that, "this is hardly major change."

Making Moves

Chris: DC-based ParkedIn is a startup out of 1776 with an application — available for iOS on June 1 — that improves the usually tedious activity of finding parking in DC. Founded just this year, ParkedIn currently has about 20,000 parking spots under its coverage in the District. By the end of 2015, the startup hopes to offer 100,000 different parking spots throughout the city. ParkedIn has already generated $30,000 in revenue, pre-mainstream launch, and is actively pursuing a venture raise. The mobile app-centric service functions much like Airbnb, but for parking.

Eric: The app sounds great if you're one of those people who absolutely needs a car in the city or just hasn't realized you don't. I didn't even think there were 100,000 parking spots in DC but if ParkedIn can make things easier for people without hogging public space, more power to them.

Chris: Private equity investment firm, B-more-based Slate Capital Group, has acquiredHanover, Md.-based Broadcast Sports, which develops wireless HD and POV cameras and wireless audio for  broadcasting services. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed at the time of announcement. The providers of wireless (RF) tech and communications systems will now operate under a new name: Broadcast Sports International.

Eric: The flexibility of wireless broadcasting cameras and microphones could mean all kinds of new angles, especially if they start attaching them to drones.

City News

Chris: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced a new month-long campaign to inspire local innovation called innoMaytion. The program will be aimed at bridging the gap between DC’s prominent tech sphere and “the most underserved,” according to Bisnow. The announcement follows various reports of a particularly busy tech-centric month full of events for the District’s mayor. Among other things, Bowser will announce a pilot program with 1776 to provide tech training to low-income high school grads. She will also promote a city-sponsored coding camp for girls and plans to release the roster for her new “innovation team.”

Eric: I'll support almost any initiative with a pun that bad, and it does sound like some worthy projects. It's nice to see the focus on women and underserved kids too.

What We're Reading

Reach out

Tips? Rumblings? Complaints? Something you want to see in the email? Reid@dcinno.com & Chris@dcinno.com