Monday, October 27, 2025
In today’s digest, New Yorkers are turning out in record numbers to vote, why global founders can’t get enough of NYC’s tech scene, and Christmas before Halloween? 🎃
Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
New Yorkers headed to the polls in record numbers this weekend to cast their ballots for Mayor, City Council, and various other local offices. 🗽 (Gothamist)
The first weekend of early voting drew 164,190 check-ins across the five boroughs through Oct. 26, with Brooklyn and Manhattan leading the turnout.
That’s five times higher than the first weekend of early voting four years ago.
Voters ages 55 and older made up over 50% of the early voting turnout.
Help continue this record early voting turnout — find your polling place and get out to vote here.
The latest data on NYC’s economy: While the city is reflecting a slowing national economy, there were some bright spots in September. (NYCEDC)
Office visitation grew from 67% to 76% of pre-pandemic levels in September.
Office leasing has strengthened this year, with 33.9 million square feet leased citywide since January, the highest level for this period since 2019.
Subway ridership reached a new post-pandemic high at 77.3% of its pre-pandemic level, and ridership is up 6.9% over the past year as daily ridership averaged 3.7 million in September. 🚇
A tree has been chosen! This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be an 11-ton Norway Spruce from East Greenbush, New York. 🎄 (NBC New York)
It's 75-feet tall and 45-feet wide, and estimated to be about 75 years old, according to Rockefeller Center.
The tree is set to arrive in the city later this month ahead of the lighting in early December.
In other reading:
The New York power lunch playbook: 15 tables where deals still get done (Observer)
The MTA & iconic NYC businesses are hosting a city-wide MetroCard sendoff with collabs, experiences, & more (Secret NYC)
Which New York colleges are the best investment? Here’s how they compare to other schools (Times Union)
Why Global Founders are Picking NYC
Accel’s new Built in New York report shows how New York City is attracting both homegrown innovators and international founders eager to scale in the U.S.
Here’s what’s driving the surge:
🔎 The TL;DR: Founders pick New York for customer proximity, culture, and talent density.
New York offers easier access to customers across industries and a global, energetic ecosystem that founders actually want to live in.
It’s easier to manage a global team from Gotham, with shorter flights and tighter time zones.
📈 The data:
Venture activity has been climbing for years; recent B2B and fintech wins (and an AI ecosystem) helped accelerate momentum.
From 2010 to 2020, the number of venture investments in New York-based startups more than doubled — proof this rise isn’t a post-pandemic fluke.
41% of NYC’s net job gains since 2019 have been in tech.
🤝 How European founders are structuring growth: Dual HQs are a common play.
Engineers and R&D often stay in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where hiring can be cheaper and deeper, while commercial and go-to-market teams land in NYC to be close to customers.
Founders are making the move earlier, often right after their Series A, hiring their first global heads of sales and marketing in New York instead of waiting for U.S. expansion years later.
🧭 Advice for founders moving to NYC: Be deliberate about compensation, taxes, and hiring expectations, the report recommends.
The report notes founders should expect higher cost of living and payroll, and to plan for incorporation and tax implications early and prioritize on-the-ground leadership (CEO or founder presence).
The report also urges founders to budget aggressively, hire an internal recruiter early, and stay realistic.
Our take: This is all obvious to us. Why wouldn't you build your future in the capital of everything?
In other reading:
Pairing computer science with culturally responsive education shows results (K-12 Dive)
IBM launches digital assets platform as crypto activity jumps (Bloomberg)
The three Cs of good decisions (Fast Company)
Clerq, an NYC-based payments platform for high-ticket transactions, raised $12 million in Series A funding. 645 Ventures led the round and was joined by existing investors FirstMark Capital, Fika Ventures, Commerce Ventures, and Dash Fund.
Darwin AI, an NYC-based company designed to help public sector agencies integrate AI safely, raised $15 million in Series A funding. Insight Partners led the round and was joined by UpWest and Resolute Ventures.
OneAM, an NYC-based early pay platform, raised $4.7 million in seed funding. TTV Capital led the round and was joined by Correlation Ventures, ThirdStream Partners, and others.
Valthos, an NYC-based biodefense startup, raised $30 million led by the OpenAI Startup Fund, alongside Lux Capital and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund.
October 28: SIEDC Elevate Tech Summit, where you can dive into specialized tracks in AI, marketing, and business operations, featuring top leaders and innovators shaping the future of tech in the tri-state area. Register here.
November 3: AI in Real Estate: A Conversation, unpacking the state of play for AI in real estate, including where it’s delivering value now and which parts of the stack are ripest for disruption. Register here.
November 4-5: SmartCon’s Finance, Reimagined conference, bringing together governments, financial institutions, and top Web3 projects in New York to shape how blockchain is transforming finance, markets, and public services worldwide. Register here.
November 6: AI Made Simple: From Curiosity to Confidence, a hands-on evening where you'll turn real work challenges into practical AI solutions — no tech background required, just curiosity and a laptop. Register here.
November 7: AcceleratorCon, for top early-stage founders connect directly with investors, accelerators, and ecosystem partners. Register with promo code NYCDIGEST for a 30% discount here.
November 11-12: Urban Tech Summit, offering insights and examples of how researchers, companies, governments, and communities can continue to drive innovation, and how urban tech can help cities do more with less as they prepare for the future. Register here.
November 17-18: Momentum AI Finance 2025, bringing together 300+ senior financial leaders to share real-world strategies for scaling intelligent automation, building trusted AI stacks, and driving responsible innovation across the industry. Register here.
November 19: Decoded Futures Build Day, a day of collaboration between technologists and nonprofit organizations to explore practical, hands-on ways to apply AI to real challenges. Register here.
December 10-11: The AI Summit New York, a platform for enterprise leaders and tech innovators to explore and apply commercial AI. Register here.
December 10: The AI Summit NY Healthcare Happy Hour, a mixer for healthcare and pharma professionals after Day 1 of the AI Summit in New York. Register 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 }}
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.