Monday, July 13, 2026
In today’s digest, City Hall unveils a tech PIT crew, new NYC books, and a look at the next generation of NYC startups. 🗽
Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
New York City just launched its own tech strike force. This morning, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the new Public Interest Technology (PIT) Crew — teams of engineers, designers, product managers, and data experts who will build digital tools to modernize city services. 🧑💻 (ABC New York)
Their first assignment will be to create an online complaint portal to help enforce the city’s new Click-to-Cancel protections.
Instead of relying on outside vendors, the city says these in-house teams will work across agencies to deliver digital services in months rather than years.
Interested in applying? If you’re a software engineer, product manager, or product designer looking to put your skills to work in public service, apply to join a PIT Crew here.
Need a babysitter? NYC has you covered — for one night, at least. The city is launching its first-ever free “Parents’ Night Out,” giving caregivers a few kid-free hours while children enjoy supervised activities at recreation centers across all five boroughs. 🤾 (CBS New York)
Registration opens today and runs through July 20 on a first-come, first-served basis for the August 16 event.
Time once again to master the art of the schvitz: Another round of eye-popping temps is on the way. A heat advisory takes effect Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening as heat indices are expected to top 100 degrees across the city. 🥵 (PIX 11)
Officials are urging New Yorkers to stay hydrated, limit time outdoors, and seek air-conditioned spaces when possible.
In other reading:
New York City has the best stories. Read about them in these new books (Gothamist)
It’s humiliating. It’s exhilarating. It’s a line (Curbed)
The city that never sleeps suits up to play late-night soccer (New York Times)
Together with Markup AI 🤝
If your content isn’t structured for AI search, it’s not getting found, even if it’s great.
Markup AI is the content control layer that checks every piece against your brand guidelines, voice, and AI search readiness signals, then delivers a score that tells your team exactly when it’s ready to publish and why. On-brand, high-quality, and citable.
Today’s Seed, Tomorrow’s Standouts
We’ve spent the past year tracking NYC startups as they graduate to Series A. But where do those companies begin?
We decided to find out. 🌱
We analyzed every NYC startup that raised a seed round during the first half of 2026, and the results are a reminder that New York’s startup pipeline is as strong as ever.
📊 By the numbers:
More than 240 NYC startups raised at least $1.13 billion in seed funding during H1 2026, with the average seed round reaching $6.64 million.
That’s an increase from $1.06 billion raised in H1 2025, when the average seed round was $5.4 million.
Here’s what stood out from the data:
AI is the foundation: AI and enterprise software startups accounted for roughly $500 million, or nearly 45% of all seed funding. But the bigger story is that AI is now embedded across nearly every industry. 🤖
Companies like Reflections.ai, Hypha AI, ActionAI, and Solid are building core AI infrastructure, while founders across healthcare, fintech, climate, and cybersecurity are using AI to reinvent existing industries rather than create entirely new ones.
Digital health keeps building: Health and life sciences startups attracted roughly $180 million in seed funding, with companies tackling everything from computational drug discovery and diagnostics to patient care and clinical operations. 🏥
It’s the same trend we’ve seen throughout our Series A: A Series project, that healthcare remains one of NYC’s deepest startup strengths.
Fintech remains one of NYC’s superpowers: Financial infrastructure startups raised approximately $150 million, with founders focused on modernizing payments, wealth management, embedded finance, accounting, and financial operations. 💸
Security, robotics, and climate continue to rise too: Cybersecurity startups brought in around $65 million, robotics and industrial technology raised roughly $45 million, and climate startups added another $40 million, highlighting the growing diversity of New York’s innovation economy. 🔐
💰 Who’s writing the checks? Familiar names continue to dominate the city’s earliest-stage ecosystem, with Y Combinator, BoxGroup, Alumni Ventures, Flybridge, Lerer Hippeau, General Catalyst, and Soma Capital among the most active investors backing NYC founders.
🗽 Why it matters: A year into publishing Series A: A Series, we’ve seen firsthand how quickly today’s seed companies become tomorrow’s growth stories.
Some of these companies will never raise another round.
Others will become the names we’ll be writing about in future editions of Series A: A Series.
Either way, this is where the next generation begins. 🚀
In other reading:
This free Mac app reveals the truth about your mystery USB-C cables (The Verge)
Why AI might actually help solve the next labor crisis (Wall Street Journal)
Anthropic found a hidden space where Claude puzzles over concepts (MIT Technology Review)
A24, an NYC-based independent film studio, raised $75 million in a strategic investment led by Google Alphabet and DeepMind.
Build, an NYC-based AI infrastructure due diligence platform, raised $8.5 million in a seed fundraising round led by Index Ventures with participation from Pebblebed, Puzzle Ventures, Tiny.vc, and others.
Gauntlet Networks, a NYC-based DeFi-risk management and crypto vault company, raised $125 million in Series C funding led by SBI Holdings USA.
LinqAlpha, an NYC-based AI research platform for investors, raised $22 million in Series A funding led by AVP formerly AXA Venture Partners, Atinum Investment, and GFT Ventures.
Stepful, an NYC-based healthcare workforce training platform, raised $55 million in a Series C fundraising round led by Oak HC/FT with participation from Foresite Capital and Hearst Ventures.
Wonder, an NYC-based food delivery platform, raised $600 million in a Series D fundraising round led by New Enterprise Associates with participation from Accel, Google Ventures, and others.
July 14: Demo Night: Internal Design Tools, bringing together designers for an evening of lightning talks highlighting internal design tools built for real teams. Register here.
July 15: Pitch and Run – Central Park, for founders to connect with angels and VCs without the pressure of a pitch meeting and to allow founders and startup employees to connect. Register here.
July 16: The Make It in Brooklyn Renewable Energy Pitch Contest, where selected founders compete before judges for prize money and market support, while attendees network and learn about the future of clean energy. Register here.
July 16: Founders Basketball New York City, a growing community of startup founders and investors who love to connect over business and buckets. Register here.
July 19: Guava in the Park – Prospect Park Founder Meetup, where you can bring a friend, a bottle, or something to share. No agenda, just good people and good weather. Register here.
July 20: Women in Tech – Yoga + Networking, a gathering of female founders and women in tech for a relaxing afternoon. One hour of yoga, then one hour of networking. Register here.
July 21: Pitch Like a Lawyer: Build a Winning Case for Investors, an interactive workshop led by a former U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney where you’ll learn how to build a case for your startup using the same frameworks lawyers use to prepare a case for trial. Register here.
July 21: AI for Small Business: Practical Ways to Compete in a Changing Market, a free virtual workshop from Fordham University’s AI Business Hub and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce designed for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to put AI to work safely and effectively. Register here.
July 21-22: DUMBO Office Open Houses, where you can tour new prebuilt workspaces designed for growing startups and teams in a neighborhood home to more than 500 tech, creative, and professional firms. Plus, rooftop views and refreshments. Register here.
July 22: Common Table NYC Book Club, a book club dinner just for founders (the first book will be Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo). Register here.
July 24: After Hours: NYC Tech Social at Maxwell Tribeca, where professionals across tech and fast-growing startups can step away from work, meet beyond their usual circles, and enjoy a great night out together IRL. Register here.
September 16: Primary’s NYC Tech Summit, an annual gathering for builders, backers, and operators shaping the future. Apply to attend here.
October 13-15: EdTech Week, where the brightest minds and the boldest innovators gather in a technological playground dedicated to transforming education. Register before August 31 for early bird tickets here.
Daily Digest Rewards 🎁
Treat yourself: Send subscribers our way, and we’ll send swag your way.
1 Referral: Shoutout in the Digest
5 Referrals: Obviously NYC Hat
10 Referrals: Obviously NYC Tote Bag
25 Referrals: Obviously NYC Sweatshirt
{{rp_personalized_text}}
Or share your personal link with others: {{ rp_refer_url }}
Want to advertise in the Digest? Fill out our form here.
Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here.
Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.
