Tech:NYC Digest: October 23

Tech:NYC Digest: October 23

October 23, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Monday, October 23, 2023

Happy Monday! In today’s digest, our recap of #NYTechWeek, new efforts to make housing more affordable, and a Halloween forecast trick-or-treaters will like.

  • One plug: New York Magazine’s “Power Issue” dropped today, and it said: “The reason tech and City Hall don’t hate each other — like they do in San Francisco — is Julie Samuels.” Our founder and executive director was named one of “49 people who are actually running the city.” 

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  • Gov. Kathy Hochul signed three affordable housing bills, including a measure that helps co-ops rein in repairs, insurance, and energy costs. (Crain’s New York Business)

  • Halloween partygoers, rejoice! New York meteorologists are predicting sunny skies for this weekend. (Gothamist)

    • After seven straight rainy weekends, New Yorkers can anticipate a dry weekend in the low- to mid-70s. More rain was measured last month in Central Park than any September since 1883.

    • Still need weekend plans? The iconic Rockefeller Center ice rink opened this weekend and there are plenty of fall festivities to check out through the end of October.

In other reading:

  • Cities Foster Serendipity. But Can They Do It When Workers Are at Home? (New York Times)

  • Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region chosen as federal ‘tech hub’ in bid for funding (Buffalo News)

  • 12 hours in FiDi (THE CITY)

More than 400 events. Tens of thousands of attendees. A hustle that won’t quit. That’s New York tech.

Last week, alongside our friends at a16z and dozens of Tech:NYC member companies, we were proud to kick off the largest Tech Week to date. The idea was simple: We set out to celebrate New York and the startups that call it home.

  • Following a period of market uncertainties and economic downturn, New York’s tech sector remains resilient: Our latest data shows that there are now 370,000 tech workers in New York — that means there are more jobs in tech than on Wall Street.

  • Research we released just before Tech Week indicates that number will only grow: 59% of employers across all kinds of industries expect to increase their number of tech hires, and they were nearly unanimous (99%!) in their confidence to source that talent from right here in NYC.

The swell of events during Tech Week were proof of what we’ve always believed: New York is definitely not dead, our network is doubling down on New York, and tech remains committed to powering the fastest-growing segments of NYC’s economy.

Special thanks to the sponsors and partners who helped make the Tech:NYC Founder House and our other events possible. (And yes, we’re already working on New York Tech Week 2024. Stay tuned!)

  • KKR, a NYC-based private equity firm, raised $3 billion for its third technology fund.

  • Statement, a NYC-based cash flow management platform, raised $12 million in seed funding. Glilot Capital Partners led the round.

NYC Economic Development Corporation is accepting applications for its NYC Catalyst Fund. The program invites fund managers operating in three impact areas — diverse entrepreneurship, community development, and/or emerging sectors — to submit proposals for investments between $1M and $7M. Learn more and apply by November 1 here.Techstars NYC is accepting applications for their spring 2024 cohort. Accepted companies receive an initial investment of up to $120,000, plus office space, accounting and legal support, and access to the global Techstars network. Learn more and apply by November 29 here.NYC Open Data Week 2024, an annual festival of community-driven events presented by NYC’s Open Data Team, BetaNYC, and Data Through Design, is accepting session proposals. Learn more and apply by Nov. 22 here.The FinTech Innovation Lab is accepting applications for its 2024 cohort. The program is open to both early- and growth stage startups with solutions for financial institutions and insurance companies. Areas of specific interest include generative AI, cybersecurity, payments, and enterprise operations. Learn more an apply by Nov. 30 here.Company Ventures is accepting applications for Boost, a program of the Founder Fellowship. The 4-month program is open to NYC-based, first-time founders preparing to raise a pre-seed or seed round and are seeking a community of investors and other mentors. Learn more and apply by Dec. 5 here.Newlab is accepting applications for its 2024 Founder Fellowship cohort. The program is open to NYC-based founders from underrepresented backgrounds with climate tech solutions. Learn more and apply by Dec. 5 here.

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