Tech:NYC Digest: June 17

Tech:NYC Digest: June 17

June 17, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Friday June 17, 2022 

We’re back with another summer Friday edition of the Tech:NYC Digest, featuring our favorite Friday Five highlights in New York tech this week. And one programming note: we’ll be closed on Monday in observance of Juneteenth. Have a good long weekend!  

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Global tech ranking keeps New York in second place (Crain's New York Business)

  • For the fifth year in a row, NYC ranked second in an annual report measuring the success of 140 global startup ecosystems, only behind Silicon Valley. The research is conducted each year with data and insights provided by Tech:NYC and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and while this year’s ranking remains consistent, it was further fortified by a few new highlights: doubled VC figures over last year and particular gains in cyber, AI/ML, and life sciences talent. Get the full report here.

Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul Appoint “New” New York Panelists (NYC)

  • City and state government working together — we love to see it. The mayor and governor are co-convening a big panel to guide solutions to a big challenge: the future of the region’s economy. If the list of leaders serving on the panel is any indication, they know tech will be a critical tool here: Tech:NYC founder Julie Samuels, BlocPower founder Donnel Baird, Google senior director William Floyd, Union Square Ventures partner Fred Wilson, and many others in our network are on board to help.

Wonder Is Valued at $3.5 Billion After Capital Raise (Wall Street Journal)

  • The NYC-based startup (and Tech:NYC member!) founded by Marc Lore has ambitions to become “the super app for food.” With its network of truck-based restaurants that cook curbside meals and deliver food to homes, the company has plans to have a national footprint by 2035. Its $350 million Series B came just six months after it launched with a $400 million Series A in December, an impressive feat at a time when venture capital in many other places is being much more cautious.

Juneteenth is now a day off for 30 percent of private employers (Axios)

  • A year after Juneteenth was designated the eleventh federal holiday (and Mayor Adams also made it a paid NYC holiday), about a third of all employers are now doing the same. If we were to conduct the same poll just among tech companies, we’re certain the number would be even higher — we’ve heard from most of our member companies that they intend to permanently observe the holiday. If you’re looking for ways to celebrate, the Museum of the City of New York and the Central Park Conservancy are running great programs.

And lastly, one fun read: Why Do the Men of SNL Live in Such Horrifying Apartments? (Curbed)

  • Small spoiler: It may be because they don’t really live there at all.

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