Tuesday, January 13, 2026

But first: Thanks to all who have submitted questions about tech and NYC to our mailbag! We’re still accepting questions — submit yours here to have it answered by Tech:NYC and our members in an upcoming Digest feature.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her annual State of the State address this afternoon, focusing on childcare, affordability, public safety, housing, and more. (City & State)

The New York City Department of Transportation has been given the green light (😉) by the state legislature to add red light cameras at 50 new intersections per week over the next five weeks. The agency plans to add red light cameras to 600 intersections by the end of the year. 🚦📸 (Patch)

With MLK Day this coming Monday, here’s your guide to commemorating the day in NYC, including family activities, service projects, volunteer opportunities, free museum programs, and weekend events. 🙏 (New York Family)

PayPal signs big lease at Hudson Square (NY Post)

Mamdani inherits New York City’s ‘trash revolution’ (Waste Dive) 

Manhattanhenge is this weekend! Here's how to catch it in all of its glory (Time Out New York) 

She also released a State of the State Book, which includes a full slate of priority proposals.

Labeling requirements for AI-generated content.

Bans on non-consensual deepfakes around elections and on sharing false information about where/when to vote.

Empire AI Beta is also being installed alongside the Alpha system, together allowing hundreds of researchers from the member institutions to continue to advance AI research for public good.

Gov. Hochul is launching the Empire AI Student Challenge so K-12 students can use AI to solve public problems with educator support.

Plus, she announced efforts to help government workers work smarter and more efficiently by using new technologies (including AI) to accelerate permitting and procurement processes, and to review New York State’s regulations, reports, and policies.

Restrict integrated AI chatbots for kids and default minors to the highest privacy settings.

Limit unsolicited DMs to young users and tighten controls on in-app payments.

Roll out K-12 digital citizenship resources for students, teachers, and parents.

Downstate Semiconductor Chip Design Center: A new hub tying NYC’s knowledge economy to the state’s chip manufacturing base.

Quantum tech hubs: Up to four regional hubs with incubators for quantum startups.

Biotech push: A statewide clinical trial consortium, new VC tools, workforce programs, and commercialization grants.

Autonomous vehicles: Expanding testing of autonomous vehicles beyond NYC.

Here’s how to design meetings around how human brains actually work, not how we wish they would (Fast Company) 

AI devices are coming. Will your favorite apps be along for the ride? (WIRED) 

More than 100 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025 (TechCrunch) 

Haiqu, an NYC-based quantum software startup, raised $11 million in seed funding. Primary Venture Partners led the round, joined by Qudit Investments, Alumni Ventures, Collaborative Fund, Silicon Roundabout Ventures, Angel One Fund, Toyota Ventures, and Mac Venture Capital.

Pomelo Care, an NYC-based health care platform designed for women and children, raised $92 million in Series C funding. Stripes led the round and was joined by Andreessen Horowitz, PLUS Capital, Atomico, and others.

WithCoverage, an NYC-based startup that replaces insurance brokers with a flat-fee risk management model, raised $42 million in Series B funding. Sequoia Capital and Khosla Ventures co-led the round, joined by 8VC and Crystal Venture Partners.

January 15: StartupExperts New Year Coffee Meetup, a casual, open space for operators (HR, finance, and operations) to swap insights, talk through challenges, and find ways to help one another. Register here.

January 16: The Age of Extraction: In Conversation with Tim Wu and Bradley Tusk, a discussion on Wu’s latest book, The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity, a timely exploration of platform power and the fight for economic balance in the digital age. Register here.

January 16: New York Engineering, Energy, and Transportation networking event, for engineers, project developers, renewable energy specialists, urban planners, environmental consultants, and infrastructure leaders eager to expand their networks, exchange ideas, and explore solutions driving the future of sustainable development. Register here.

January 18: Capital & Crayons, Kids in Venture Playdate, bringing together the next generation of thinkers and their parents from the venture community. Register here.

January 22: Towards Emissions-Free Waterways, a discussion about whether BATWorks could serve as a center of expertise for the electrification of inland waterways. 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.

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.