Tech:NYC Digest: October 2

Tech:NYC Digest: October 2

October 02, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Monday, October 2, 2023

Welcome to Q4! In today’s digest, what cities should expect from the “new normal” of storms, why hiring asylum-seekers is an economic win-win, and the tech events you can’t miss this month.

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  • Last weekend was an inconvenient (and very wet) time for a lot of New Yorkers – especially those living in the city’s flood hazard zones. 

    • If you’re in those zones and experienced any damage, here’s a handy resource guide. 

    • If you were spared, here are some ideas for how to help your neighbors.

  • Federal student loan payments return this month with the end of the pandemic pause. (Axios) 

    • First payments are due this month, but federal loan interest already resumed in September. There is a 12-month “on ramp” transition period, which means borrowers who miss payments won’t be reported to credit bureaus or placed in default through Sept. 2024. However, interest does still accrue during that period.

  • New York has identified 18,000 job openings across 400 employers willing to hire asylum-seekers who could benefit from expedited worker authorization permits across the state. Almost 10,000 of those roles are in NYC. (NY1)

In other reading:

  • In Places Like NYC, Climate Change Means Smaller Storms Are Growing More Fearsome, More Often (New York Times)

  • Rent Stabilization Isn’t Going to the Supreme Court This Time (Curbed)

  • Halloween in New York: Things to Do in October (New York Times)

We’re speeding into a busy, busy month of tech events. Until we figure out how to clone ourselves, here’s a couple where we hope to see you:

On October 11: The 2023 New York Tech Summit, presented by Tech:NYC and Crain’s New York.

  • We’re gathering some of the most exciting ecosystem leaders to get their predictions of the state of the sector as we approach EOY and 2024. 

  • Confirmed speakers include Altana AI CEO Evan Smith, CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker, Esusu co-CEO Wemimo Abbey, Google head of trust & public safety David Graff, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, BBG Ventures managing partner Susan Lyne, and many more.

  • Tech:NYC Digest readers have access to discounted tickets by using code TECHS23 to register here.

On October 16 – 22: It’s the official New York Tech Week!

  • More than 300 events have signed on to the master calendar of events happening citywide that week (including dozens being hosted by Tech:NYC and our member companies)!

  • See the full master calendar here.

In other reading:

  • Aug X Labs, a New York-based video creation platform, raised $3.1 million in new funding. Unlock Venture Partners led the round and was joined by Dropbox Ventures, Flying Fish Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, and others.

  • Canvs AI, a NYC-based platform using AI to analyze customer and employee feedback, raised $15 million in funding. Fulcrum Equity Partners led the round and was joined by Engage.

  • Farther, a NYC-based wealth management startup, raised $31 million in Series B funding. Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round and was joined by Bessemer Venture Partners, Cota Capital, Khosla Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, and Moneta VC.

  • Gem Security, a NYC-based platform that detects and responds to cloud security risks, raised $23 million in Series A funding. GGV Capital led the round and was joined by IBM Ventures, as well as insider Team8 and a group of angel investors.

  • Transfr, a NYC-based startup creating virtual reality technology for employee training, raised $40 million in Series C funding. ABS Capital led the round and was joined by JPMorgan Chase Impact Finance, Advisory, Lumos Capital Group, Akkadian Ventures, Spring Tide Capital, Firework Ventures, and Album.

  • October 4: In-person: How to Go From $1M ARR to $10M, with Help Scout chief revenue officer Andrea Kayal, Bloomfire head of revenue marketing Deidre Hudson, and Innovatemap principal product marketer and brand strategist Meghan Pfeifer. Hosted by Innovatemap. Register here.

  • October 11: In-person: 2023 Tech Summit, featuring Altana AI CEO Evan Smith, Google Head of Trust & Safety David Graff, Esusu Co-CEO Wemimo Abbey, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and others. Hosted by Tech:NYC and Crain’s New York Business. Use code TECHS23 for discounted tickets by registering here.

  • October 12: In-person: Innovation and Collaboration in New York’s Government, with MTA CEO Janno Lieber, NYC Chief Efficiency Officer Denise Clay, LinkNYC Chief Administrative Officer Margaux Knee, and others. Hosted by City & State. Use code TECHNYC23 for 50% off tickets by registering here.

  • October 18: In-person: NY Enterprise Tech Meetup, with Grafana Labs COO Doug Hanna, Vercel VP of Product Jared Palmer, and Apollo senior director of develop experience Peggy Rayzis. Hosted by Work-Bench. Register here.

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