Thursday, March 26, 2026
In today’s digest, QSBS is here to stay, more cell service on the subway, and what actually drives ROI on AI. 🅰️👁️
Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Big news for NY startups: The Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) is here to stay! Founders dodged a potential tax hit after the State Senate backed off a plan to tax gains from early startup equity — following major pushback from NYC startup founders. 💪 (Politico)
The proposal would’ve eliminated a key tax exemption on startup equity and applied it retroactively to 2025, rattling founders and investors.
A Tech:NYC-led sign-on letter with 1,600+ signatures sent the message, proving our engagement was a win for New York’s startup ecosystem.
More subway entrances are getting an upgrade with taller, harder-to-hop fare gates as part of a $1.1 billion push to cut fare evasion and improve accessibility. 🚇 (Gothamist)
The agency plans to fully outfit 20 stations by the end of the year, with more to follow across 150 stations.
Early results: 31% of riders have already used the new gates, totaling about 12 million taps.
New MTA cell service, who ’dis? In other subway news, parts of the 4 and 5 lines between Bowling Green and Fulton Street and the G train between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets now have full 5G service in tunnels, so you can load up Wordle without fear. 📱 (Time Out New York)
This launch builds upon cell service already in place in parts of the G train and 4/5 lines, and is part of a larger plan to bring cell coverage across all 418 miles of subway tracks.
In other reading:
Citi Field recognized for having best baseball stadium food for third year in a row (QNS)
Meet the agents at Union Square Ventures: Arthur, Ellie, Sally, and Friends (USV/X)
NYC prepares for historic events marking America’s 250th (Spectrum News 1)
What Actually Drives Returns on AI?
That’s the trillion dollar question. A new survey of 1,006 global executives suggests it’s all about how companies manage the tech. 🤖
Forty-five percent of companies report a “great deal” of value from the tech, and another 45% report moderate value. Only 9% report limited value — and virtually none report zero.
Looking at the sector more broadly, the biggest gains come from how orgs define, measure, and operationalize that value.
Here’s what separates the winners from everyone else. 👇
🎯 Value is still a moving target: The strongest performers are clear about what they want from AI — whether that’s short-term ROI, long-term transformation, cost savings, productivity, or something less easily reduced to a single number.
⚙️ Generative AI gets the hype, but not the biggest returns:
Half of execs said analytical AI (think pricing or targeting) delivers the most value today, while 40% pointed to rule-based AI.
Just 9% said generative AI is their top value driver.
🧰 The biggest upside comes from a mixed approach: Internal tools can drive quicker gains, but product-focused AI matters for long-term growth and even market defense.
Companies using both employee tools and targeted business solutions reported much stronger outcomes than those choosing just one path.
📊 Measurement is the dividing line: The big inflection point is moving to production and then actually measuring outcomes.
Only 4% of companies stuck in unmeasured pilots report high value, versus 85% of those at the formal reporting stage.
💼 Finance matters more than most companies think: Only 2% put the CFO in charge of AI value, but when they do, 76% report a great deal of value — far above tech or business-led models.
🎓 Train people — especially leadership: 58% of companies haven’t trained employees on AI tools, and 29% say leaders lack AI understanding.
Companies that train both groups see a 23-point boost in value realization.
In other reading:
AI’s adoption gap is becoming a comms problem (Axios)
People who love corporate BS are bad at their jobs, new Cornell research confirms (Inc.)
The AI skills gap is here, says AI company, and power users are pulling ahead (TechCrunch)
Adonis, an NYC-based orchestration platform for health-care RCM, raised $40 million in Series C funding. Quadrille Capital led the round, joined by General Catalyst and Bling Capital.
Cents, an NYC-based provider of payments software for launderers, raised $110 million in Series C funding led by Sumeru Equity Partners, with Camber Creek participating.
Gilgamesh Pharma, an NYC-based neuroscience biotech, raised $60 million in Series A funding. Satori Neuro led the round, joined by Prime Movers Lab.
Thesis Care, an NYC-based clinical care platform, raised $45 million in Series A funding. Oak HC/FT led the round, joined by CRV and Black Opal Ventures.
Featured events:
⭐ March 31: Runway AI Summit, bringing together industry leaders across media, technology, consumer brands, robotics, and more to explore how AI is reshaping how work gets done — and what comes next for enterprise. Register here with promo code TECHNYC50 for 50% off.
⭐ 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.
Other great events:
March 30: NYC Tech Boxing Club Insurtech NY Edition, b boxing class for investors, founders, and friends in NYC tech. Register here.
March 31: Climate Scaling Summit, a keystone convening where you can connect with thought leaders in manufacturing, supply chain, and workforce development alongside growth-stage startups that have already made the post-pilot leap. Register here.
March 31: Building at the Frontier, a panel with the builders and operators pushing deep tech forward, featuring Fauna Robotics’ Rob Cochran and Radical AI’s Joseph Krause. Moderated by Eric Newcomer. Register here.
April 2: Hockey Game for Finance Leaders, featuring the Rangers vs. Canadiens. Register here.
April 2: Building the American Century, part of Deep Tech Week, featuring fireside chats with David Ulevitch, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and co-leader of the American Dynamism practice, alongside key members of the team. Moderated by Hyperstition Incorporated’s Andrew Cote. Register here.
April 14: Govtech Happy Hour, for govtech founders and operators, civil servants past and present, and policy enthusiasts. Register here.
April 14: April Nexus Cocktail Mixer, an executive mixer designed for leaders driving operations, technology, and growth at top brands and retailers. Register here.
April 16: Founder Breakfast, a curated breakfast for VC-backed founders, ideally those who have raised a Seed round. Register here.
April 16: Construction Robotics Summit: From Dirt to Data, bringing together the builders, technologists, and decision-makers advancing robotics across the built environment. Register here for early-bird pricing before March 31.
April 17: Founder Breakfast, a curated breakfast for VC-backed founders, ideally at Seed and Series A building in AI. Register here.
April 20: Communicating Your Value with Confidence, an interactive workshop where you’ll learn a practical, repeatable approach to communicating your value with clarity and confidence. Register here.
April 28: Rillet Recon, a full-day program on the future of AI-native finance. Register here.
April 30: The Executive Night, a gathering of ~30 Series A+ founders and investors. 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.
