Tech:NYC Digest: May 31

Tech:NYC Digest: May 31

May 31, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

In today’s digest, updating your voter registration just got easier (by going online), NYC’s new plan to measure the long-term impacts of hybrid work, and what tech workers should know about New York’s final week of the legislative year.

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  • After years of delays through the pandemic, a new portal is live to allow New Yorkers to register to vote and/or change their registration online. (Gothamist)

    • The new system has one site built for NYC voters and one for voters across the rest of the state. Both will no longer require residents to have a DMV-issued ID; instead, New Yorkers can now just use the last four digits of their social security number.

    • However, if you do have a New York-issued driver’s license or non-driver ID card, you will still use the DMV portal here to register or update your registration.

  • Following a recent cluster of more than 20 new mpox cases in Chicago (some of which were linked to travel to NYC), city health officials are making a new push for at-risk New Yorkers to get vaccinated and help avoid another outbreak this summer. (New York Times) Clinics still offering the two-dose series are searchable here.

  • NYC’s Dept. of City Planning is launching a two-year study with location intelligence startup Placer.ai that would use cellphone data to assess the economic impact of hybrid work. (Crain’s New York) NYC’s average office occupancy is still hovering around 48% week-over-week.

In other reading:

  • Testing New York Apartments: How Dirty Is That Gas Stove, Really? (New York Times)

  • Congestion Pricing’s Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them: Lessons from London’s 20 years of experience (Curbed)

  • 5 New NYC Restaurants Where You Can Actually Land a Table … Tonight (Grub Street)

Today we’re taking a quick break to cover local tech news not from the industry side but — equally as important — from the government side.

To catch you up quickly: Each year, between January and June, New York policymakers have a window to propose and pass new laws in Albany, and as we approach the end of the current session on June 8, there are still several outstanding proposals — tech and non-tech related — that impact the sector.

One issue we’re watching closely this week is data privacy: New York’s proposal was recently updated to apply extensive new rules on how companies of all sizes can collect and share data. 

  • As proposed, it would prevent many startups in New York from collecting data. It applies to a wide range of platforms and websites, large and small, e.g. those with more than $25 million in annual revenue, or those that collect the data of more than 50,000 New Yorkers.

Member opportunity: Tech:NYC is in regular communication with lawmakers to relay feedback from our member companies. If you work in New York tech and would like to share how the proposed rules would impact your ability to grow your business here, reach out to us here and we’ll follow up on next steps. 

In addition to data privacy, here are a few other areas we’ve been working on:

  • Supporting workers with criminal records: Roughly 2.3 million New Yorkers have criminal records, severely limiting their ability to find employment and build upwardly-mobile careers. (New York Times) Half a million NYC residents — 80% of whom are Black or Latino — are eligible to have their criminal history automatically sealed, and the Clean Slate Act would do just that. We’re working with a broad coalition of business, labor, and civil rights groups in ensuring all possible barriers are removed to help these New Yorkers secure stable jobs (including the thousands at our very own member companies).   

  • No-excuse absentee voting: No-excuse vote by mail, which allows voters to request an absentee ballot and vote early for any reason, is a win-win. A new proposed law would make that option permanent — an update that would not only increase voter participation but also eases the burden on election officials by reducing demand at Election Day poll sites. A majority of other states already incorporate no-excuse absentee voting, and we’re glad to support efforts so New York joins that group. 

  • Cryptocurrency: Attorney General Letita James and other state policymakers have shown greater interest in regulating crypto and other digital assets. New York has been the country’s strongest hub for web3 innovation, and this issue isn’t going away. (Fortune) Even into future sessions, we will continue engaging with lawmakers to help them parse out the impacts on not just cryptocurrencies, but also NFTs and other kinds of digital assets.

The big picture

: The tech sector can’t build in a vacuum. Playing an active role with government partners is how we guarantee startups can thrive here — and it’s why New York is winning.

  • Antimatter, a NYC-based meme-based learning and teaching platform, raised $2 million in seed funding. Version One led the round and was joined by Spacecadet, Ordinary, Gregory Levey, Haystack, and Compound.

  • MoCaFi, a NYC-based fintech platform for traditionally underserved communities, announces $23.5 million in Series B funding. Commerce Ventures led the round and was joined by BNY Mellon, Wells Fargo, Truist Ventures, and a group of insiders.

  • Prognos Health, a NYC-based health data marketplace, raised $23 million in new funding. Marshall Wace and Safeguard Scientifics co-led the round and were joined by Cigna Ventures, Hikma Ventures, Hunt Holdings, Labcorp, Maywic, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, and Red & Blue Ventures.

  • June 6: In-person: Build Your Own Generative AI App, with Replit, Ansa Capital, and Lerer Hippeau. Register here.

  • June 6: In-person: Newlab Resilient Studio Showcase, with ElectricFish, Orenda Power, Urban Electric Power, WATTMORE, and Yotta Energy. Hosted by Newlab, NYCEDC, and ConEd. Register here.

  • June 8: In-person: Cornell Tech Fest 2023, with NYC Chief Innovation Officer Oscar Romero, Dataminr SVP of AI Alex Jaimes, and more. Register here.

  • June 14: Make It in Brooklyn: Clean Energy Innovations, with itselectric co-founder Tiya Gordon, Streetlife Ventures managing partner Laura Fox, Latinxs in Sustainability lead Melina Acevedo, and Wildgrid partnerships manager Martine Luis. Hosted by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. Register here.

  • June 20: In-person: Future-Proofing Your Digital Product and Brand with AI, Innovatemap principals Jon Moore and Meghan Pfeifer. Register here.

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