Thursday, May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Thursday, May 29, 2025 

In today’s digest, Nisha Dua explains BBG Ventures’ investment thesis, congestion pricing heads toward its $500 million goal, and take a ride in a century-old subway. 🚇

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  • Congestion pricing has raised $215.7 million during the program’s first four months, and toll collections are still on track to raise $500 million this year, per the MTA. 💸 (Bloomberg)

    • A federal judge yesterday also blocked the White House from ending the program before its fate could be decided in court.

    • Since the toll program took effect through April, about 8.1 million fewer vehicles drove into Manhattan’s central business district, a daily average decline of 11%.

  • In other transit news, tired of limited cell service on subways? 5G cell service is coming to the northern half of the G train between Court Square and Hoyt-Schermerhorn this fall. (Gothamist)

    • The MTA also plans to bring wireless networks to the East River tunnel that carries the 4 and 5 lines between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn by the end of the year. 🛜

  • PIX 11 is hosting a live debate tonight for candidates running to be the city’s comptroller, AKA the city’s chief financial officer. This includes Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and City Council Member Justin Brannan, among others. (PIX 11)

    • The debate can be watched on TV or streamed online starting at 7pm, and viewers can submit questions for the candidates here.

    • Learn more about the comptroller’s race here.

In other reading:

  • NYC subway riders can take century-old trains in Brooklyn next month (Gothamist)

  • Brooklyn Public Library to release special-edition New York Liberty library cards (Brooklyn Paper)

  • Pride events in New York: Here’s how to celebrate (New York Times)

Nisha Dua cofounded BBG Ventures in 2014 to back underestimated founders.

  • “From day one, we’ve believed that identifying which Americans are underserved — and which founders understand them best — drives outsized alpha,” she told us.

Last fall, the firm took that thesis a step further and announced a new $60 million fund to back underestimated founders building for the “polycultural future of America,” 

Say more: The American Polyculture “explores how identity shapes core needs across health, work, financial security, climate, and consumption — and which segments feel most underserved.”

For our latest VC Spotlight, we caught up with Nisha to discuss her career, the top resources she recommends for founders, how the firm’s Polyculture thesis drives its investment strategy, and much more.

Here’s a preview of what Nisha had to say:

  • 👀 On what motivates her to invest in the “polycultural future of America”:

    • “Over the last few years, we’ve seen the country evolve from a monoculture to a dynamic polyculture — a mosaic of lived experiences where identity is multivariate and fluid — one that demands more nuanced solutions to the economy's biggest areas of opportunity.”

  • 🤩 On an exciting recent investment:

    • Supercircle is “tackling a $50B+ problem: how brands handle excess inventory, returns, and consumer takeback … Supercircle’s software and logistics layer turns waste into value — enabling resale, donation, and recycling — and helping brands monetize their waste while delivering on circularity promises.”

  • 🤖 On her favorite AI tool:

    • “Granola AI has changed my life — the best for meeting notes, detail, and recall. I also use custom GPTs for repetitive tasks to create leverage in my day.”

  • 🍕 On the best slice in the city:  

    • “My current go-to is F&F in Carroll Gardens from the Frankies team.”

In other reading:

  • The AI experience is going from ‘50 First Dates’ to ‘Cheers’ (Wall Street Journal)

  • Job interviews enter a strange new world with AI that talks back (Bloomberg)

  • Winning tech companies build experiences that change how people work (Inc.)

  • Rillet, an NYC-based AI-native enterprise resource planning platform, raised $25 million in Series A funding. Sequoia Capital led the round and was joined by existing investors First Round Capital, Creandum, Susa Ventures, and angel investors.

  • ⭐ June 2-8: NY Tech Week, a decentralized tech conference featuring 900+ events throughout the city. Get Tech:NYC’s guide here. ⭐

    • June 3: NYC AI Demos with Tech:NYC, Pensar, and Two Trees, ​featuring technical demos from well known enterprises and early-stage startups. Request an invite here.

    • June 4: J.P. Morgan Payments x Tech:NYC Fintech Media Breakfast, bringing together leading tech journalists to explore how fintech innovation is transforming industries and shaping media coverage. Request an invite here.

    • June 6: Decoded Futures + Tech:NYC Social Impact AI Showcase, an inspiring showcase of how NYC nonprofits are using AI to solve real-world challenges across the social sector. Request an invite here.

  • June 2: AI Startup Pitch Day, where NYC’s top pre-seed AI startups will take the stage to pitch their startups to a roomful of 100 investors with a grand prize of $50K. Investors, register here. 

  • June 4: Generative AI in the Built Environment, a networking breakfast and panel exploring how generative AI is reshaping design, development, and operations across the built world. Register here.

  • June 5: Runway’s third annual AI Film Festival, a celebration of the art and artists embracing new and emerging AI tools for filmmaking. Register here.

  • June 9: Robin Hood Summit: Opportunity x AI, where leaders from the tech, academia, finance, and impact sectors will explore effective uses of AI that can expand opportunity and scale impact for our neighbors living in poverty. Register here.

  • June 16: Fireside Chat with Ramp CPO Geoff Charles, who will discuss how Ramp keeps teams small and scrappy by emphasizing autonomy, focus, and smart tooling to do more with less. Register here.

  • June 18: AI Show Not Tell - Ditch The Deck, a social meet-up curated for NYC-area technologists, founders, developers, and investors. Register here.

  • June 25: Techie Tapas, to give techies a space to network, collaborate, and build community. Register here.

Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here.
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