Tech:NYC Digest: February 28

Tech:NYC Digest: February 28

February 28, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Monday, February 28, 2022 

In today’s digest, what to know about the end of New York’s COVID protocols, New York State to stop business with Russia, and a special edition of our Companies to Watch series featuring founders from the inaugural NYC Recovery Challenge.

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 1,144 

    • New positive cases, NYC: 362

  • NYC Positivity Rate: 1.3 percent (no change) 

  • NYC Hospitalizations: 657 (-13)

  • Statewide Vaccine Progress: 

    • Percentage of all New Yorkers with at least one dose: 88.9 percent

    • Percentage of all New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated: 75.5 percent

Today in COVID: 

Several city and statewide COVID protocols will be lifted in the coming week. (New York Times) Here’s what you need to know, but to answer some of the most common questions:

  • Do I have to show proof of vaccination at restaurants? Beginning March 7, not necessarily. Restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues, and other public spaces will no longer be required to screen for vaccination, but can continue doing so if they choose.

  • Does the vaccination mandate still apply at my workplace? Yes, any employee going into an office or workplace of any size must provide proof of full vaccination to their employer. More info here.

  • What about mask-wearing at my workplace? As long as your workplace complies with the vaccination mandate, mask policies depend on the rules your employer decides to set.

  • Are masks still required in school settings? The statewide mask mandate for schools will be lifted on March 2, and mask policies will be left to local officials after that. In NYC, the mask mandate for public schools will be lifted on March 7, should case numbers remain low.

  • Where are masks still required? Masks are still required where federal rules apply (public transit, airports, etc.) and in high-risk settings (hospitals, healthcare sites, etc.)   

In other news:

  • As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order that will stop investments and purchases involving Russia. The order will remain effective for as long as the federal government's sanctions against Russia are in place. (Gothamist)

  • The CDC has created a straightforward, online tool to help people see whether their area is at high, medium, or low levels of community risk for the coronavirus, the deciding factor in the new CDC guidelines released on Friday. The new guidelines state that most Americans can go without masks.

  • If you haven’t received your booster yet, here’s a reminder: Today is the last day for New Yorkers to receive the $100 incentive if they get the shot at any city-run or SOMOS site. (NBC New York)

In other reading:

  • Breathalyze Your Way to a COVID Diagnosis (New Yorker)

  • How Covid Stole Our Time and How We Can Get It Back (New York Times)

  • Why You Should Take the Q Train to Dinner Tonight (Grub Street)

In the first three months of the pandemic, NYC’s unemployment rate spiked from 3.8 percent to 20 percent. The city has since made strides getting workers and businesses back on their feet, but the unemployment rate remains atypically high around nine percent — more than double the national average.

  • Much of the pain has been felt in industries that rely on face-to-face work: hospitality, retail, healthcare, and transportation, to name a few. 

Now more than ever, we need new tools and pathways for the entrepreneurs, workers, and small businesses that are heartbeat of our local economy.

That’s why Tech:NYC, together with Google for Startups and Cornell Tech, launched the inaugural NYC Recovery Challenge, a program to support tech startups accelerating the city’s economic recovery. 

  • After the review of more than 170 applications, ten founders were invited to join the inaugural cohort, and for the past several months, they’ve been refining their business plans with industry and city leaders (and each other!) to maximize their impact and prepare for long-term success.

  • The cohort's companies include COVERR, a financial services provider to gig economy workers; Dollaride, a platform connecting commuters with options in transit deserts; Guava, a digital community banking platform for Black small businesses; among others. 

For this month’s special edition of Companies to Watch, coinciding with the final week of the NYC Recovery Challenge program, we spoke to each of the founders about the insights they’ll take from the program and how tech can continue to lead recovery efforts that reach all New Yorkers.

  • Alloy, a New York City-based tool for connecting e-commerce applications, raised $20 million in Series A funding. Andreessen Horowitz led the round and was joined by FirstMark Capital, Hawke Ventures, and Bain Capital Ventures. (TechCrunch) 

  • Zero Networks, a New York City and Tel Aviv-based enterprise network security provider, raised $20.3 million in Series A funding. Venrock led the round and was joined by F2 Venture Capital, PICO Venture Partners, and a group of angel investors. (Zero Networks)

  • March 3: Virtual: Recruiting and retaining talent in the new world of work, with Slack SVP Brian Elliott, Cisco VP of talent acquisition Zohra Yafai, and others. Hosted by Protocol. Register here.

  • March 3: Virtual: Mock Term Sheet Negotiation, with CARMERA CEO Ro Gupta, Allegory managing partner Ed Walters, Goodwin partner Heather Miles, and others. Hosted by NYU Data Future Lab. Register here.

  • March 5 – 6: In-person: NYC School of Data 2022, with Council Member Gale Brewer, Cornell Tech Urban Tech Hub director Michael Samuelian, and others. Hosted by BetaNYC with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics. Register here.

  • March 7: Virtual: March Fundraising Workshop, with On Deck Fractional COO Erci Friedman. Hosted by Silicon Valley Bank. Register here.

  • March 9: Virtual: Beyond Decentralization: Designing for Equity, Democracy, and Human Rights in Web3, with Reach Capital partner Jomayra Herrera, Metalbale founding members Austin Robey, and Polaris CTO Anjana Rajan. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. Register here.

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