Tech:NYC Digest: October 12

Tech:NYC Digest: October 12

October 12, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

In today’s digest, the latest COVID booster get approved for kids, how tech is investing in NYC’s libraries beyond the pandemic, and Joby’s plan to make your trip to the airport faster and greener.

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  • The FDA has authorized the updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Children who have received a two-dose primary series of any vaccine more than two months ago are eligible to receive the booster. (New York Times)

    • According to the NYC Dept. of Health, just 5% of eligible New Yorkers have received the bivalent booster.

  • New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has extended the state of emergency declared in response to the spread of poliovirus after sewage tested positive in Brooklyn and Queens. (CNBC)

  • Another $13 million in grants were awarded to abortion providers across New York State, covering 67 clinical sites, as well as family planning and licensed healthcare providers. (New York Daily News)

  • Google.org and other philanthropy programs are partnering with the Brooklyn, New York, and Queens library systems to provide $20 million in skills training, career development, and other technology support programs to teens and young adults disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Learn more. 

In other reading:

The electric vehicle race in New York is going airborne.

What’s new: Joby Aviation, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startup, has received a $60 million investment from Delta Airlines to build out its “home-to-airport” transportation service. (TechCrunch)

  • The service is initially launching in New York and Los Angeles, offering what is effectively an air taxi to Delta customers in those cities to get to the airport.

  • Joby will utilize existing helipad infrastructure in NYC to offer the service from three heliports: on East 34th Street, on West 30th Street, and by Wall Street.

Joby will operate the eVTOL service, and Delta will integrate the offering into its regular booking infrastructure.

  • The new service is exclusive to Delta for now and will run alongside Joby’s standard airport service.

The launch is anticipated as the first eVTOL service to market, offering short-range journeys that produce zero operating emissions, and for customers, a lot of time savings.

  • A typical New York eVTOL flight may reduce travel time to just ten minutes, all but eliminating the time it takes to get to the airport in other traffic.

What we’re watching: Joby is one of many companies developing transportation technologies that promise more efficient and more sustainable travel. But next comes certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, which will need to create new pathways for pilotless flight of passengers. (Bloomberg) And if the FAA is as sluggish with eVTOLs as it was with small drones, it could be a while before we see their benefits.

In other reading:

  • With Places, Microsoft aims to help companies better manage hybrid work setups (TechCrunch)

  • This is why every team needs a KPI for joy (Fast Company)

  • How to make the workplace a less anxious place (Protocol)

  • Arch, a NYC-based DeFi startup, raised $5 million in seed funding. Digital Currency Group and Upload Ventures co-led the round. (The Block)

  • Chronograph, a Brooklyn-based private markets technology company, raised $20 million in new funding. Summit Partners led the round and was joined by Carlyle Group and Nasdaq Ventures. (Newswire)

  • IronVest, a NYC-based cybersecurity startup, raised $23 million in seed funding. Accomplice led the round and was joined by Trust Ventures, Ulysses, Joule Ventures, OurCrowd, and other angels. (VentureBeat)

  • Ntropy, a NYC-based financial data intelligence platform, raised $11 million in Series A funding. Lakestar led the round and was joined by QED Investors and January Ventures. (TechCrunch)

  • OatFi, a NYC-based working capital infrastructure provider for B2B payments platforms, raised $8 million in seed funding. QED Investors led the round and was joined by Portage Ventures, Picus Capital, Cambrian Ventures, Fin VC, Dash Fund, and Lorimer Ventures. (TechCrunch)

  • October 13: In-person: How to Survive and Thrive as a Startup, with Techstars managing director Jordan Fliegel and others. Hosted by La French Tech New York. Register here.

  • October 18: In-person and virtual: October Fundraising Workshop, with Silicon Valley Bank managing director Andrew Oddo, startup banking director Bo Ren, and market insights associate Liz Cahill. Register here.

  • October 22: In-person: Newlab Annual Open House Party, featuring member open studios, art and tech installations, food stands, open bar, and live performances. Register here.

  • October 24 – 25: In-person: SCNY Urban Tech Summit, with Tech:NYC executive director Jason Myles Clark, NYC Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung, JustAir co-founder and CEO Darren Riley, and others. Hosted by Cornell Tech. Register here.

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