Thursday, July 23, 2026
In today’s digest, new ballot proposals, NYC loves fro-yo, and the city’s fintech boom reaches new heights. 🏆
But first: One of the hottest jobs in tech? Human storytellers.
Tech:NYC is hiring a VP of Brand and Narrative to own the overarching story of the organization.
You’ll lead Tech:NYC’s communications and content functions as one cohesive team, serving as editor-in-chief of the organization’s voice, brand, and narrative. More details here.
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Government updates may soon ship a little faster. Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) released five proposed ballot measures aimed at speeding up everything from bus and bike lane construction to city contracting. 🚲 (amNY)
One proposal could reduce the timeline for bus and bike lane projects by allowing work to begin while public engagement continues in parallel.
Another would establish a formal process for maintaining the city’s rainy day fund at roughly 12% of annual tax revenue.
The Commission held a final meeting today to finalize the questions that will appear on the November ballot.
Five owners of rent-stabilized buildings have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn New York City’s new rent freeze. The freeze applies to roughly one million rent-stabilized apartments on leases beginning on or after October 1. 🏢 (Wall Street Journal)
The lawsuit marks the real estate industry’s first court challenge to one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s signature housing policies.
It’s officially historic. The Knicks’ championship trophy is going on public display at the American Museum of Natural History beginning Monday, giving fans a chance to see the Larry O’Brien Trophy up close through January 3. 🏀 (Gothamist)
The trophy joins the museum’s “For the Win” exhibit alongside iconic sports memorabilia, including the Vince Lombardi Trophy and one of Jesse Owens’ Olympic gold medals.
The exhibit also features a basketball-shaped pocket watch ornament gifted to legendary Knicks coach Red Holzman after the team’s 1973 championship.
➕ One more thing: If every company is becoming a tech company, what does that mean for the future of work?
Fresh off the release of Revelio Labs’ and Ramp’s widely discussed research on AI adoption and hiring, Revelio Labs’ Ben Zweig joins CUNY’s Lauren Andersen on the latest episode of City & State’s Tech in the Cities podcast. Listen here. 🎧
In other reading:
NYC’s fro-yo craze is still going strong (Eater)
The rise of the cargo bike: How New York City families are rethinking transportation (Brooklyn Paper)
‘New York’s largest kaleidoscope’ among immersive artworks at Edge NYC viewpoint (Dezeen)
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New York Fintech Riding a Record-Setting Funding Wave
Fintech funding is climbing again, and New York is capturing a big share of the growth.
AI is fueling larger venture rounds, fintech valuations have reached record highs, and NYC continues to produce some of the industry’s biggest deals, according to PitchBook’s Q2 Fintech Report. Here’s what stood out. 💸
Funding is so back: Nationally, fintech VC funding reached $13.3 billion across 461 deals in Q2, with both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year funding increasing even as deal count trended lower. 📈
AI helped drive larger rounds, pushing the median deal size to $6.2 million and the median pre-money valuation to a record $57.6 million.
Financial services infrastructure, CFO software, and wealthtech attracted the most investment dollars this quarter.
AI 🤝 fintech: Investors are increasingly backing companies that automate financial workflows instead of simply digitizing them.
Some of the hottest investment themes are AI-powered accounting, billing automation, financial workflows, embedded payments, and cross-border payments.
Technology that lets AI agents initiate and complete financial transactions (AKA “agentic payments infrastructure”) is quickly emerging as an area to watch.
🗽 New York leads the way: Local fintech startups landed some of the largest venture rounds anywhere.
According to PitchBook, NYC fintech companies have already raised $9.16 billion across 213 venture deals in 2026, putting this year’s funding total ahead of every full year since 2022.
Several of this year’s biggest fintech financings came from New York companies, including Polymarket ($1.6 billion), Kalshi ($1.2 billion), Ramp ($782 million), Vestwell ($390 million), and Digital Asset ($370 million).
TL;DR: Investors are writing bigger checks for companies using AI to reinvent financial services.
With New York producing many of the year’s largest fintech raises, the city’s fintech ecosystem continues to go from strength to strength. 💪
In other reading:
Lil Snack, an NYC-based daily games company, raised $8 million in funding. a16z led the round and was joined by Lerer Hippeau, Waverley Capital, Powerhouse Capital, and Hasbro.
Passionfroot, an NYC-based creator-brand partnership and marketing platform, raised a $15 million Series A. Insight Partners led the round, joined by Creandum, Supernode Global, and s16vc.
Petra Labs, an NYC-based end-to-end AEO partner for enterprise brands, raised a $5.2 million seed round led by Work-Bench, with participation from Afore and Pathlight, alongside strategic angels.
July 24: Tech Poker, a friendly game of poker at George’s in Chelsea. Register here.
July 24: Tech Pickleball NYC, a growing community of 2,000+ members who come together on Friday mornings for coffee, bagels, pickleball, and good vibes. Register here.
July 24: Taking the Leap: Industry Vets Who Left to Build, a coffee meet-up for founders who spent years becoming a leader in their industry and then walked away to solve the problem themselves. 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.
July 25: TechWalk – Brooklyn, a networking event for members of the Tech and SaaS communities to get outside, meet new people, and enjoy some fresh air. Register here.
July 26: Startup Friends – Yoga & Chill, where you can touch grass, stretch it out, sip something refreshing, and spend the afternoon with some ambitious humans. Register here.
July 27: Pitch and Run Monday, where founders can connect with Angels and VCs without the pressure of a pitch meeting and to allow founders and startup employees to connect. Register here.
July 28: After Hours, a happy hour for New York’s creatives, founders, and the people still figuring it out. Register here.
July 29: Wednesday Coworking, a weekly working session in NYC for founders, builders, and creatives. Register here.
July 29: The Asian Salon Mixer, a gathering of 30-35 Asian founders, builders, creators, operators, and investors building companies, products, brands, communities, and movements. Register here.
July 29: RTM Nexus Meet Up, a casual, pay-your-own-way networking event where you can meet fellow retail professionals, expand your network, and enjoy a relaxed evening together. Register here.
July 30: The Digital Economist Innovation Hub – NYC Social Hour, bringing together a curated mix of leaders across technology, research, policy, and business for a night of lively conversation, fresh ideas, and genuine connection. Register here.
August 19: Personalization Without the BS: What’s Actually Lifting Revenue, where you’ll see how the brands that actually move CR, AOV, and LTV with personalization are doing something fundamentally different. Register here.
August 22: NYC Founders Club Founder River Float Retreat, a full-day retreat on the Delaware River for early to growth-stage founders — transportation, meals, and all supplies included. Register here.
September 10: StrictlyVC, delivering an insider perspective on New York City’s bustling VC scene and wider trends in the community. 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.
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