Monday, April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Monday, April 21, 2025 

In today’s digest, tributes to Pope Francis, the Democratic mayoral primary is heating up, and a fintech check. ✔️

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  • New Yorkers are flocking to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, whose passing was announced this morning. Plus, flags are flying at half-staff throughout the city in tribute. (NBC New York)

  • New York City’s mayoral race continues to heat up, with nine major candidates vying to win the Democratic primary. Stay in the know on where the leading Democrats stand on major issues with this interactive guide. ☑️ (New York Times)

    • As a reminder, the mayoral primary is June 24, and the voter registration deadline is June 14.

    • Check out more info on getting ready to vote here.

  • Starting Memorial Day weekend, the busiest stretches of Rockaway boardwalk will be pedestrian-only, meaning bicyclists will have to detour to a nearby bike lane this summer. 🚲 (Gothamist)

    • The key stretch of the Rockaway boardwalk will only be open to bikes from 6am to 9:30 am until Oct. 1. 

In other reading:

  • The real rabbits of NYC: Take a stroll through real bunny trails found in parks throughout the boroughs (amNY)

  • How canners can make a cleaner, better city (City Limits)

  • Witches and pooches: NYC Easter parade in pictures (The Guardian)

NYC is the financial capital of the world. Add to that a robust tech ecosystem, and you have a recipe for a thriving financial technology sector. In honor of New York Fintech Week, let’s check in on the state of fintech in the Big Apple. 🍎

👊 A powerhouse:

  • There are over 600 fintech companies in NYC — the largest number of any U.S. city.

  • The sector is growing fast — at twice the rate of Silicon Valley, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). 

  • Almost 4,000 startups in NYC — ~16% of total startups — focus on some aspect of financial services. 

🤑 Investors are investing: 

  • In 2024, NYC fintech deal values climbed to $6.71 billion, marking a $2.37 billion increase from 2023.

  • NYC-based fintech companies received 26.6% of nationwide fintech funding in 2022, and 18.9% in 2023.

💼 Jobs galore:

🔢 New York Fintech Week by the numbers:

  • 65+ events.

  • 6,000+ attendees.

  • 400+ fintech companies.

  • 75+ venture funds.

Be part of the convo: Here are a few cool fintech events happening this week in NYC:

Tuesday: Legal & Compliance Happy Hour, an opportunity to connect with peers, discuss the latest regulatory challenges, and share insights on navigating compliance in today’s financial world.

Wednesday: Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit 2025, featuring 500+ powerhouse women (and allies) in fintech for a day of strategy, visibility, and connection.

Wednesday: Latino Fintech Mixer, an opportunity to connect with fellow Latino fintech professionals, share insights, and build relationships within the community.

In other reading:

  • What tariffs could mean for the AI race (Tech Brew)

  • ChatGPT will now use its ‘memory’ to personalize web searches (TechCrunch)

  • China pits humanoid robots against humans in half-marathon (Reuters)

  • Brellium, an NYC-based AI-powered clinical compliance platform, raised $13.7 million in Series A funding. First Round Capital and Left Lane Capital led the round and were joined by Menlo Ventures, Digital Health Venture Partners, Necessary Ventures, and angel investors.

  • Meadow, an NYC-based student financial services provider, raised $14 million in Series A funding. Matrix Partners led the round and was joined by existing investors Susa Ventures, Giant Ventures, Treble Capital, and GoGlobal Ventures.

  • Spur, an NYC-based AI-powered quality testing company, raised $4.5 million in funding from First Round, Pear VC, Neo, angel investors, and others.

  • 1Fort, an NYC-based AI-powered business insurance platform, raised $7.5 million in funding. Bonfire Ventures led the round and was joined by Draper Associates, Karim Atiyeh, existing investors Village Global, Operator Partners, 8-Bit Capital, and others.

  • April 23: Attention in the Age of AI with Gary Vaynerchuk, a discussion and Q&A on marketing oneself in the age of AI. Register here. 

  • April 30: Woo Investors with Robust Numbers, a 90-minute masterclass on financial pitch training. Register with promo code TECHNYC25 here. 

  • April 27: hackNY Spring, a one-day conference for early- to mid-career developers who want to level up in tech. Register with promo code techNYC here.

  • April 28-29: Momentum AI New York 2024, to connect with people who are pioneering global AI transformation. Register here.

  • April 29: New AI Frontiers & A Hacker Night: An Evening with Databricks, Anthropic, Timescale, Patronus, & Weaviate, an AI Review event. Register here.

  • April 30: Empower & Elevate Your Workforce Talent Mixer, for employers seeking to connect with the brightest emerging talent in social media marketing, Python, IT, data, and cybersecurity. Register here.

  • May 6: 43North Startup Showcase: Upstate NY, to hear pitches from founders in the 43North portfolio and across Upstate New York, and to connect, collaborate, and network with venture leaders and ecosystem builders. Register here.

  • May 6-7: AI Agent Conference, for leaders driving the next era of autonomous artificial intelligence, featuring 300+ world-class AI leaders, senior execs and top founders. Register with promo code TECHNYC15AI here.

  • May 9: Founders NYC, by Union Square Ventures, Lux Capital, First Round Capital, and BoxGroup, bring together NYC’s best builders from the most iconic companies – founders from MongoDB, Warby Parker, Ramp, Ro, and others — to talk about lessons learned, off-the-record-tips, and well-trodden tales with the goal of helping NYC’s big next wave. Apply to attend here.

  • May 13: Watches and Wearables, a happy hour by Remedy and Ganance for anyone excited to chat watches and wearable tech, featuring drinks, hands-on product demos, and a fireside chat. Register here.

  • May 15-16: Black Women Talk Tech hosts its 9th Annual Roadmap to Billions Conference, a platform to forge connections, expand your knowledge, and drive generational wealth for you and your community. Register here and save 20% with code RTBPARTNER20.

  • May 23: NYPL’s free job fair & expo, focusing on tech sector jobs. Job seekers, register to attend here. Interested in tabling at the event? Employers, apply here.

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