Tech:NYC Digest: April 13

Tech:NYC Digest: April 13

April 13, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Wednesday, April 13, 2023

In today’s digest, the consortium training the next generation of chip experts, NYC’s push to preserve accessible abortion at home, and the prickly choices HR leaders weigh in announcing layoffs.

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  • Five city universities — CUNY, SUNY, NYU, Cornell Tech, and Columbia — will join a new Northeast University Semiconductor Network to build educational and research programs to train students to work at the new Micron semiconductor manufacturing plant in 2030. (Crain’s New York)

  • The most recent medication abortion ruling in Texas has Mayor Eric Adams on the defensive: NYC is leading a coalition of cities and counties that run public healthcare systems to support legal efforts against a ban.

    • Most abortions are now banned in 13 states, and local abortion rights groups say an increasing number of people are traveling to NYC to access abortion care, a development city leaders are encouraging. (New York Times)

    • An appeals court today overturned parts of the Texas ruling, keeping medication abortion available for now, while the Justice Dept. seeks emergency Supreme Court action. (New York Times)

In other reading:

Virtual layoffs seem cringey, even as they became necessary during the pandemic. But experts say they’re here to stay, writes Axios.

  • With offices open again — but remote work still more common — companies now have options, and it’s not necessarily clear what is best for workers. (New York Times)

The case for virtual: It can be the more compassionate option, where employees who don’t already go into the office often avoid the awkwardness of an in-person exit from the office for the last time.

The case for face-to-face: With some in-person notice, employees have a chance to say goodbye to colleagues, whereas notices over Zoom can feel impersonal and remove the human impact employers should be prepared to confront.

In other workplace news:

  • Some companies are beginning to more directly tie in-office attendance to performance metrics, including pay. Workers who come into the office fewer days than expected could risk reduced bonuses. (Wall Street Journal)

  • JPMorgan has asked its managing directors to resume working in the office five days per week. CEO Jamie Dimon said in a memo that employees at this level should “always be accessible for immediate feedback and impromptu meetings." (Bloomberg)

In other reading:

  • Cybersyn, a NYC-based data-as-a-service company, raised $62.9 million in Series A funding. Snowflake led the round and was joined by Coatue and Sequoia Capital.

  • HUG, a NYC-based social discovery platform for digital art NFTs, raised $5 million in seed funding. Participating investors include OKX Ventures, DIGITAL, L’Oreal’s Bold Ventures, Venrex, Jae Holdings, Cryptology, and Aa Sons.

  • VERO, a NYC-based property leasing and screening platform, raised $9 million in Series B funding. Fifth Wall led the round.

  • Whizz, a NYC-based e-bike subscription platform for last-mile deliverers, raised $3.4 million in seed funding. Participating investors include Joint Journey, TMT Investments, and a group of angels.

The NYC Computer Science Opportunity Fair (CS Fair) is looking for volunteers to support NYC's largest annual college and career inspiration event on April 25 for more than 2,000 public high school students studying computer science. Learn more here and use this link to sign up.The Microsoft Philanthropies Technology Education and Learning Support (TEALS) Program, which pairs industry professionals with CS teachers to support coursework in NYC schools, is looking for volunteers for the 2023-2024 school year. Visit the TEALS website for more information and to apply.All Star Code is accepting applications for its six-week summer intensive coding program. The course is open to high school-age men of color to get hands-on experience in web development. Learn more and apply by April 14 here.Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator is accepting applications for its Summer 2023 NYC accelerator program. ERA invests $150,000 for a 6% post-money SAFE and provides a four-month intensive mentorship program. Learn more and apply by April 17 here.The Urban Future Lab is accepting applications for its 7th Annual Urban Future Prize Competition. Two entrepreneurs building the next great ideas in climate tech will be awarded $50,000 prizes each. Learn more and apply by April 24 here.The Grand Central Tech Residency Program is accepting applications for its Fall 2023 cohort. Selected startups receive free office rent for a year, as well as other community and programming benefits. Learn more and apply by July 15 here.

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