Tech:NYC Digest: June 16

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Thursday, June 16, 2022 

In today’s digest, NYC on the cusp of downgrading COVID alert levels, a new mapping tool gives you broadband options at your home address, and why consensus on the three-day RTO model may be fading.

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By the numbers:  

• New positive cases statewide: 5,913

  • New positive cases, NYC: 3,335

• NYC Positivity Rate: 5.1 percent (+0.1 percent) 

• Statewide Vaccine Progress:

  • New Yorkers with at least one dose: 90.8 percent

  • New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated: 77.6 percent

In today’s latest: 

• NYC has seen notable decreases in COVID-19 cases since last month and is considering downgrading its COVID alert status to “medium” in the coming days. Data from the CDC would seem to support the change in all five boroughs based on current transmission data. (NBC New York)

• Last night, the three candidates for Lieutenant Governor debated for the one and only time ahead of this year’s Democratic primary. Get a recap of the discussion here.

• President Biden signed an executive order strengthening protections for people in the LGBTQ+ community as states attempt to pass a raft of controversial anti-LGBTQ measures. (Axios)

• Gov. Hochul released a new statewide broadband lookup map — New Yorkers can enter any address and see the different broadband access options for that location, as well as information for how to enroll in the federal subsidy program. Explore the new tool here.

In other reading:

• How to get insurance coverage for long COVID as federal benefits get ready to expire (Gothamist)

• ‘Want to Play Some Chess?’ The Sounds of Late Night Chess Around New York City (New York Times)

• Spontaneity Is Officially Dead at New York’s Hottest Bars (Eater NY)

The three-day office week, that reasonable-sounding middle ground for which suggestions were widely circulated last year — and also championed by Mayor Eric Adams, office landlords, and CEOs worldwide — is perhaps a flop. (Curbed)

On paper, workers liked the idea of having more flexibility and embracing hybrid work over returning to the office full-time, but, in practice, it hasn’t been as successful as companies had hoped.

• Right now, about 38 percent of New Yorkers are at their desks on any given workday, a number that’s expected to creep up to 49 percent after Labor Day, according to data from the Partnership for New York City.

• Last month, Apple delayed the implementation of its mandatory three-day RTO policy. The companies cited an increase in COVID-19 cases, but it seems the decision was pushed over the edge by employee pushback to being mandated to certain days of the week.

Virus variants and surges have provided a convenient cause to cite as companies face demands for flexibility from employees, so why then, has NYC’s office occupancy continued to climb if workers are dragging their feet on returning to the office?

• Last week, city office occupancy topped 40% for the first time since the March 2020 shutdown, according to security company Kastle Systems.

Hint, it’s not the luxurious amenities, free lunch, or even a Lizzo concert — though those perks don’t hurt. It’s because some workers want to be back in the office, as many have missed connecting in-person with their colleagues. They do in fact appreciate the option to work from the office — but on their own terms.

In other reading:

• Workers Don’t Feel Quite as Powerful as They Used To (Wall Street Journal)

• The C-Suite Skills That Matter Most (Harvard Business Review)

• The soft skills CEOs are increasingly looking for (Axios)

• Cube, a NYC-based financial planning and analysis platform, raised $30 million in Series B funding. Battery Ventures led the round and was joined by Mayfield Fund, Bonfire Ventures, Operator Collective, and GTMfund. (TechCrunch)

• Finout, a NYC and Tel Aviv-based cloud cost management company, raised $18.5 million in seed and Series A funding. Participating investors include Team8 Capital, Pitango First, R Squared Ventures, Jibe Ventures, toDay Ventures, Ariel Maislos, and other angels invested in the round. (TechCrunch)

• Kaleidoco, a NYC-based web3 entertainment technology company, raised $7 million in seed funding. Participating investors include Animoca Brands, GameFi Ventures, Gemini, and others. (VentureBeat)

• Pawlicy Advisor, a New York-based pet insurance marketplace, raised $12 million in Series B funding. StepStone Group led the round and was joined by defy.vc, Rho Ignition, Slow Ventures, and ERA’s Remarkable Ventures Fund. (Insider)

• ScienceMagic.Studios, a NYC-based web3 advisory, raised $10.3 million in pre-seed funding. Participating investors include Coinbase Ventures, Digital Currency Group, Heni, Brevan Howard Digital, Liberty City Ventures, ThirdPrime, Cultur3, RealVision, and Heni. (CoinDesk)

• June 17: In-person: Roadmap to Billions Conference, with Guava founder and CEO Kelly Ifill, Harlem Capital investor Tonna Obaze, Google for Startups head Jewel Burks Solomon, and others. Hosted by Black Women Talk Tech. The first 25 tickets today are free using code "BWTTFF" and after, use code “BMTT” to get 60 percent off tickets. Register here.

• June 21: In-person: 2022 Brooklyn Energy Summit & Expo, with COI Energy Services founder SaLisa Berrien, BlocPower co-founder Keith Kinch, Build Edison COO Max McCafferty, and others. Hosted by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Register here.

• June 20 – 23: In-person: NFT.NYC 2022, with Snark.art cofounder Andy Alekhin, Slow Ventures partner Clay Robbins, Offchain Labs co-founder Ed Felten, and others. Hosted by NFT.NYC. Register here.

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