Tech:NYC Digest: January 17

Tech:NYC Digest: January 17

January 17, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Welcome back! In today’s digest, what to know about this season’s COVID variant, the Brooklyn startup training thousands of workers for green jobs, and how a burgeoning field of “work tech” is helping HR leaders navigate a choppy labor market.

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  • This week’s COVID update: the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 now accounts for 73% of all new cases in NYC and roughly 80% of all cases in the Northeast. (New York Magazine)

    • It’s the most transmissible form of COVID-19 known to date, and city officials are asking New Yorkers to voluntarily mask up indoors while the strain, as well as RSV and the flu, remain in high circulation.

    • Here’s a good Q&A on what to know about the variant.

  • NYC will offer free medication abortion at city-run health clinics beginning tomorrow. Mayor Eric Adams said the program will launch at a Bronx clinic and expand to additional sites across the boroughs, with a focus on reproductive health services in low-income communities. (Gothamist)

  • Manhattan’s first public beach, Gansevoort Peninsula Park, is set to open this summer directly adjacent to the Whitney Museum of American Art. It’s designed to be a new spot for sunbathing and beach games, but not swimming. (The Daily Beast)

  • And mark your calendars: after two years at Citi Field, Governors Ball returns June 9, this time at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Tickets go on sale here beginning Thursday at 10am ET.

In other reading:

  • This New York program has trained 1,700 workers for green jobs. And it’s just getting started (Fast Company)

  • The Future of Gas Stoves in New York: What to Know Ahead of a Ban (THE CITY)

  • The Secret Korean Crab Delivery You Need to Know About (Eater NY)

For all the talk about a looming recession, it hasn’t derailed hiring spending.

What’s new: Most companies plan to increase their hiring — and their HR tech spend — by 47% in 2023, according to a new report.

  • 94% of employers surveyed plan to add headcount in 2023, despite concerns over market uncertainties. 

  • Greenhouse, the NYC-based talent acquisition software company, and WorkTech surveyed 1,000 HR and talent leaders, and the majority (71%) said they plan to maintain or increase their budgets this year.

Employers across all industries are increasingly relying on tech solutions to support their hiring objectives, spurring the growth of a new “work tech” category beyond foundational HR tech tools.

  • The report indicates particular growth in enterprise software that performs psychometric assessments (18%), skills assessments (17%), and DEI&B technology programs (17%).

"There are still close to two jobs open for every available worker in the US,” said Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait. “Turbulence in the economy has impacted the job market less than anticipated, and the willingness to invest in tools and tech underscores the fact that hiring work tech is key to companies becoming more competitive in hiring."

In other reading:

  • Attention, a NYC-based AI sales assistant platform, raised $3.1 million in seed funding. Eniac Ventures led the round and was joined by Frst, Liquid2 Ventures, Maschmeyer Group Ventures, Ride Ventures, and a group of angels. (TechCrunch)

  • Syky, a NYC-based web3 luxury fashion platform, raised $9.5 million in Series A funding. Seven Seven Six led the round and was joined by Brevan Howard Digital, Leadout Capital, First Light Capital Group, and Polygon Ventures. (TechCrunch)

  • Welcome Homes, a NYC-based luxury homebuilding platform, raised $29 million in Series A funding. Era Ventures led the round and was joined by Parker89, Montage Ventures, Foundamental, Global Founders Capital, Activant Capital, Gaingels, Elefund, and Arkin Holdings. (TechCrunch)

  • January 18: In-person: Building a Marketplace: Advice for Founders and Product Teams, with AptDeco CEO Reham Fagiri, Grailed CEO Arun Gupta, and Transfix CTO Jonathan Salama. Hosted by Union Square Ventures and Stacklist. Register here.

  • January 23: In-person: Hidden Lives of Women in STEM Book Launch Party, with author and Women in Tech Chief Digital Advisor Lori Rodriguez. Register here.

  • January 24: In-person: How I Raised My Seed, with re:collect CEO Alice Albrecht, WriteSea CEO Brandon Mitchell, and WeStock CEO Cameron McCarthy. Hosted by Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. Register here.

  • January 25: Virtual: Lessons from Scaling Handy, with Handy co-founder and Angi CEO Oisin Harahan. Hosted by Junction Venture Partners. Register here.

  • January 25: In-person: NY Product Meetup: A Fireside Chat with Ordergroove SVP of Product Paul Fredrich. Hosted by Bond Collective and Productboard. Register here.

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