Thursday, January 22, 2026
In today’s digest, new district maps, let it snow, and B Capital’s Allen Duan on what not to focus on in a pitch. 💡
But first: We’re excited to announce Cohort 4 of Tech:NYC’s Decoded Futures initiative bridging AI and the social sector!
Over the next eight weeks, two dozen NYC nonprofits will work with volunteer technologists from some of NYC’s leading tech companies to build custom AI solutions to scale their impact and serve their communities. Details here.
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A Manhattan judge has ordered New York to redraw its only Republican-held House district. The court found that the lines for Staten Island’s 11th Congressional District are unconstitutional, saying they unlawfully dilute the voting power of Black and Latino residents. 🗳️ (amNY)
The state’s Independent Redistricting Commission has until February 6 to produce a new map, which could shift the district out of southern Brooklyn and into parts of Lower Manhattan.
Experts say the new lines could provide an opening for Democrats to flip the new district in the midterm elections.
Wait for this: The New York DMV is going dark for five days in February to roll out a new tech system. 🧑💻 (CBS New York)
All New York DMV offices, websites, and phone services will shut down from February 13-17 as technicians take 30 million records scattered across DMV systems and consolidate everything onto one streamlined platform.
Officials say the overhaul should streamline transactions, improve efficiency, and cut down on wait times.
Brace for impact, New York. Snow is on its way. Forecasters warn that a winter storm could wallop New York City with up to 16 inches of snow on Sunday afternoon into Monday. ☃️ (Intelligencer)
That means a snow day for students next week, right? Think again. Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels says the city will pivot to remote learning instead of canceling class (despite aggressive lobbying from his 11th grade son). 📚
Tech:NYC’s Grid Fellows visited the New York City Department of Sanitation to learn how the city has mastered the art of snow management. One fun takeaway (of many): You can track the progress of DSNY snow removals using this nifty tool.
Looking for a companion during the snow storm? Take a large shelter dog on a foster staycation.
👑 Referral royalty: Big thanks to Pawel Dlugosz and Tim Madigan for referring subscribers to the Tech:NYC Digest this week! Join them and win swag by participating in our referral program — details at the end of this email.
In other reading:
How to stay warm in NYC during a freeze: Tips for tackling heat issues, icy sidewalks, and more (amNY)
Scammers keep stealing food stamps. New cards might stop them (New York Times)
These New York restaurants embrace the art of Japanese home cooking (Resy)
VC Spotlight: Allen Duan, Partner, B Capital
Throughout his career, Allen Duan, Partner at B Capital, has held various leadership positions at companies like Hearst, Viacom, Sony, and Microsoft.
Those roles, he says, “have given me plenty of battle scars and a clear view of what makes enterprise technology and AI solutions truly enduring inside global corporations.”
That experience, combined with the number of enterprise tech and AI pitches he hears, means he knows a thing or two about what works in those pitches — and what doesn’t.
We caught up with Allen to discuss those common pitch mistakes, his career, his tech stack, and much more.
Here’s a preview of what he had to say:
👶 On his career beginnings:
“My career began dramatically. Within weeks of joining Microsoft as a Product Manager, I was part of the prep team for ‘Internet Strategy Day’ where Bill Gates announced the company had fundamentally chosen the wrong path and announced a major pivot to open internet standards, launching Internet Explorer to compete with Netscape.
“It was a masterclass in strategic recalibration and taught me that even the world’s largest technology company can recognize and course-correct at scale.”
💰 On a recent investment he’s excited about:
“Channel 1 AI. They’re revolutionizing professional video creation with a platform that companies can use today while enabling radically new creative workflows.”
🤔 On the most common mistake he sees in pitches:
“Early-stage founders in enterprise tech and AI often overemphasize product and features. While those matter, investors also need clarity on the business opportunity: why this market matters, why this team can win it, and why the investment thesis is compelling enough to justify the inherent risks.”
🤖 On his favorite AI tool:
“A shameless plug for Perplexity Pro, a B Capital portfolio company product. My go-to workflow: feed it an investment memo and ask for the top five takeaways, then use those distillations to sharpen the memo’s core messages. It’s become indispensable for cutting through noise.”
🍕 And, of course, on the best slice in the city:
“Spicy Pepperoni at Prince St. Pizza.”
In other reading:
AI can write fast, but sounding human is harder (Tech Brew)
Liza Minnelli is among the artists who collaborated on a new AI-generated album (NBC)
Fix your sales pitch in under 90 seconds (Fast Company)
Applecart, an NYC-based marketing tech startup, raised $100 million led by Blackstone at a $700 million valuation.
Benepass, an NYC-based benefits management platform, raised $40 million in Series B funding. Centana Growth Partners led, joined by FoW Partners, Portage Ventures, and Threshold Ventures.
Claim Health, an NYC-based AI-powered revenue operations platform for post-acute care, raised $4.4 million in seed funding. Maverick Ventures led the round and was joined by Peak XV, Y Combinator, DHVP, and others.
Datarails, an NYC-based AI-powered finance operating system, raised $70 million in Series C funding. One Peak led the round and was joined by Vertex Growth, Vintage Investment Partners, Zeev Ventures, and others.
Phoebe, an NYC-based platform designed to automate agency operations in home health care operations, raised $9.5 million in seed funding. Quiet Capital led the round and was joined by Slow Ventures and others.
January 23: The AI Briefing, a high-velocity roundtable for decision-makers. Bypass the hype by dissecting one high-signal AI industry deck with a room of vetted founders, operators, and enterprise executives. Register here.
January 23: Funders x Founders Walk on the High Line, a walk where founders can meet investors and investors can meet founders. Register here.
January 27: Agentic AI in the Trenches: Scaling Intelligence for the Real World, for founders and operators who are building AI for real use cases and want a deep dive into how to grow their AI companies. Register here.
January 27: NYC Fintech Coffee, for fintech founders, investors, and enthusiasts to gather around and talk about everything fintech. Register here.
January 27: Investor-Ready Financials: How to Nail Your Financial Pitch, for founders preparing to raise, planning their first institutional round, or wanting to feel more confident discussing their numbers with investors. Register here.
January 28: Volume Four of Critical Mass: Continuums — the closing event of the Deep Tech NY conference — bringing together startups scaling hardware and software and developing critical technologies that are transforming legacy sectors. Register here.
January 28: Deep Tech NY, spotlighting, uniting, and accelerating the Northeast’s deep tech ecosystem by bringing together founders, investors, and scientists to shape the technologies that will define the next 50 years. Register here with promo code TECHNYC30 for 30% off.
January 29: NYC AI Demos, the largest recurring AI demo series in New York, hosted by Tech:NYC, Pensar, and The Refinery at Domino. The series spotlights how AI is being built, applied, and adapted to serve both the NYC tech community and the city at large, and this month features demos from Bikky, Blackbird Labs, and more to be announced soon. Register here.
January 29: Founder Bowling, for founders from Seed+ navigating the critical phase of scaling — refining GTM, growing the team, and shaping their narrative for the next round. Register here.
January 29: Founder Breakfast, a private, highly curated breakfast for a curated group of 15 founders at Seed and Series A. Register here.
January 30: 30 Years of Silicon Alley, celebrating three decades of historic innovation in New York by bringing together the OG builders, founders, funders, and community who helped turn NYC into the tech powerhouse that it is today. Register here.
February 2: Beyond Engagement: Developer Experience, Databases & AI with Jay Gordon, digging into how AI is changing the developer experience from new search techniques to the way we create documentation, learn, and build every day. Register here.
February 4: What’s Next for Fintech and Crypto in 2026, a discussion on the emerging market trends, the evolving regulatory environment, and where the most compelling opportunities may emerge for retail investors. Register here.
February 4: Startup & Wine, for founders, creators, investors, and anyone curious about startups and innovation, hosted in a lounge and centered around wine and conversations about tech and startups. Register here.
April 6-9: HumanX’s conference for AI leaders in San Francisco, uniting 6,500+ leaders, builders, and investors driving real transformation. Discover cutting-edge innovations and accelerate your impact through networking opportunities. Register here with promo code HX26P_TECHNYC to get $$$ off your pass.
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