Tech:NYC Digest: August 17

Tech:NYC Digest: August 17

August 17, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 

In today’s digest, the polio risks you forgot to worry about, how to research your next NYC apartment like an investigative journalist, and why the preferred number of in-office days is no longer a plural number.

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 4,903     

    • New positive cases, NYC: 2,371

  • NYC Positivity Rate (Daily): 7.1% 

    • NYC Positivity Rate (7-Day Average): 5.0%

In today’s latest: 

  • NYC public schools will not conduct in-person COVID-19 testing when students return to class this fall. Instead, public schools will distribute four take-home tests each month, in addition to making the tests available on an as-needed basis. (City & State)

  • Polio may have been circulating widely for a year, and was present in New York’s wastewater as early as April, according to a new report from the CDC. (New York Times)

    • Related: Are you still trying to locate the long-lost vaccination records of your childhood? Here’s some tips.

  • The White House predicts newly updated COVID-19 boosters tailored to target the dominant strain of the coronavirus will be available in the next three weeks or so, assuming the FDA and CDC complete their authorizations as expected. (ABC News)

  • One transit tip: if you use the eTix app to buy LIRR or Metro-North Railroad tickets, it has now combined with the TrainTime app so the functionality of both puts access to railroad tickets all in one place now. Update to get the new version for iOS here and Android here.

  • Lastly, here’s some backgrounding tips for your next apartment search, courtesy of an investigative reporter at ProPublica.

In other reading:

Earlier this year, when companies finally felt confident in their RTO policies, many were betting on a hybrid “compromise” that would have workers back in the office two to three days per week.

As we near six months of those experiments, the reality is that number is more like … one. (Bloomberg)

  • Basking.io, a workplace occupancy analytics startup, found that 50% of office visits worldwide occurred just once a week in the second quarter, an increase from the 44% in the first quarter (to be clear, that jump suggests more people are going into the office less.)

  • The latest research from the Partnership for New York City found that 14% of Manhattan office workers are going to the office once per week.

Those numbers could shift soon, however: Beyond the summer season, when many employees are taking vacation time anyways, companies may begin taking office attendance more seriously.

  • The Partnership’s survey found that, by September 2022, the plurality of Manhattan office workers (33%) believe they’ll be expected in the office three days per week. 13% expect they’ll continue going in just once per week.

Apple is one large tech employer adhering to those expectations: The company announced a Sept. 5 deadline for corporate employees to return to the office at least three days a week. (Bloomberg)

  • Under the latest plan, employees will be required to work from the office on Tuesday, Thursdays, and a recurring third weekday to be determined by individual teams.

  • That’s a slight shift from the company’s original plan, which called for in-office attendance for everyone on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

But “even with most firms implementing a ‘three days in the office hybrid policy,’ most employees prefer visiting the office just once a week,” Eldar Gizzatov, Basking.io’s chief executive officer, wrote in the report.

Our takeaway: Preferences are one thing; enforcement is another. And actual compliance, well, that’s where we’ll be waiting to see more data.

In other reading:

  • How to run a Zoom event like a pro, and other tips from Zoom employees (Protocol)

  • Forget Work Friends, More Americans Are All Business on the Job (Wall Street Journal)

  • As Remote Work Endures, Why Downtown Won’t Die (Bloomberg)

  • CoinFund, a NYC-based Web3 and crypto investment firm, raised $300 million for its first fund focused on founders across blockchain sub-sectors. (CoinDesk)

  • Explo, a NYC and San Francisco-based customer-facing analytics company, raised $12 million in Series A funding. Craft Ventures  led the round and was joined by Felicis Ventures, Amplo VC, and other angels. (TechCrunch)

  • Happy Viking, a NYC-based plant-based nutrition brand, raised $2 million in funding. Participating investors include Venus and Serena Williams, 35V, and a group of other celebrity athletes. (Newswire)

  • HiBob, a NYC and Tel Aviv-based HR software company, raised $150 million in Series D funding. General Atlantic led the round and was joined by Bessemer Venture Partners and others. (TechCrunch)

Cela Innovation, in partnership with the Morgan Stanley Multicultural Innovation Lab, is seeking founders for its next Office Hours installment. Cela brings together early-stage entrepreneurs with leading accelerator program leaders and investors to make one-on-one matches with mentors. Learn more and apply for the Aug. 30 virtual event here.Catalyst, an incubator for early-stage social impact tech organizations operated by Blue Ridge Labs, is accepting applications for its next cohort. The six-month program offers up to $60K in funding, community-centered research and other in-kind support services, free office space, and more. Learn more and apply by Sept. 6 here.Newlab, in partnership with Globant, is accepting applications for its Ethical AI Studio. Early-stage companies looking to test new products and solutions that promote wellbeing and restore public trust in emerging tech are invited to apply. Benefits include access to a $100K grant funding pool, access to an angel investors network, as well Newlab space, industry experts, and prototyping resources. Learn more and apply by Sept. 21 here.Hack.Diversity, an initiative founded in Boston with a commitment to advancing Black and Latine/x professionals in tech, is expanding to New York and accepting applications for its inaugural NYC fellowship program. The nine-month program is seeking early-career software engineers interested in accelerating their careers in tech and building a diverse network. To get involved, reach out here. Learn more and apply by Oct. 1 here.

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