Tech:NYC Digest: October 6

Tech:NYC Digest: October 6

October 06, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Friday, October 6, 2023 

We’re back with another Friday edition of the Tech:NYC Digest, featuring our top five highlights in New York tech this week.

  • One programming note: The Digest will be off Monday in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday!

🗽 And while we have you: Our 2023 Tech Summit happens next week! Altana AI CEO Evan Smith, CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker, Esusu co-CEO Wemimo Abbey, Google head of trust & safety David Graff, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and many others will be there on October 11. We hope you’ll join us! 

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Why CEOs really think AI a “top investment priority” for them (Axios)

  • It’s buzzy right now, but business adoption is all in the long-term returns: A new KPMG survey found 62% of CEOs expect a return in 3 to 5 years, while only 23% expect a return in 1 to 3 years.

The 68 most important VCs in New York, according to other VCs (TechCrunch)

  • We spotted a lot of familiar names on this (very good, comprehensive) list: congrats to Tech:NYC Board members Peter Boyce II (Stellation Capital), Susan Lyne (BBG Ventures), Nihal Mehta (Eniac Ventures), Jarrid Tingle (Harlem Capital), and Fred WIlson (Union Square Ventures) for all they continue doing to support NYC’s homegrown tech sector.

Mental health startup Headway raises $125 million at $1 billion valuation (Reuters)

  • New NYC unicorn alert! The Flatiron-based therapy startup nabbed this week’s largest venture round in the city. CEO Andrew Adams founded Headway when he couldn’t find a therapist who accepted his insurance; fast forward to today, the company attracted 26,000 providers to actively participate in-network with 19 insurance plans. With this funding round, it plans to expand to all 50 states by the end of 2023.

The Resy Founder’s Plan to Expand His Loyalty Program for Restaurants (New York Times)

  • Ben Leventhal, who also founded the popular restaurant news site Eater from right here in NYC, says his new project, Blackbird Labs, is already taking off. With $35 million in investment from firms like USV and a16z, Leventhal is focused on restaurants’ “local regulars" while independent restaurants continue navigating fluctuating labor and supply chain costs. 

The Empire State Building harvests honey now (TimeOut New York)

  • And yes, you can try dishes incorporating the work of more than 50,000 resident bees at the State Grill and Bar, a restaurant on the building’s ground level.

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