Tuesday, July 28, 2026

New York has a brand new professional sports team, and it’s already making history. The New York Heights will take the field this weekend as one of four inaugural teams in the Women’s Professional Baseball League, the first American professional women’s baseball team in over 70 years. ⚾ (amNY)

It’s a mass-transit miracle: Metro-North’s 133-year-old Park Avenue Viaduct was rebuilt five years ahead of schedule and nearly $200 million under budget using giant prefabricated bridge sections — all while trains kept running with a 97% on-time rate. 🚆 (The City Reporter) 

Speaking of transit, the MTA asked riders to grade the subway, and the report card is a little better this semester. More than 92,000 New Yorkers responded to the agency’s latest customer survey, with overall subway satisfaction rising to 63%, up six percentage points from last spring. 🚂 (PIX 11) 

A map of the best seafood restaurants in NYC (Eater) 

New Yorkers cast write-in votes for Bloomberg, Bernie, and Brunson (City & State) 

NYC could get soaked by more than four inches of rain from ‘unusually powerful’ summer storm (NY Post)

While not every metric is moving in the right direction, the report suggests the city continues to grow economically — from venture funding and startup creation to office occupancy and transit ridership. 

Even more impressive, local companies have raised $21.2 billion through the first half of 2026, more than double (+102%) what they raised during the same period last year. 🚀 

That makes 2026 one of the strongest years for startup fundraising in recent memory.

Through the first six months of 2026, New York has still added 21,700 private-sector jobs, with employment growing 1.3% year-over-year — well ahead of the national rate of 0.5%.

Job postings also remain elevated at 85,000 across the city.

(Shameless plug for the Tech:NYC Jobs Board, featuring 7,700+ NYC tech jobs from almost 500 tech companies.)

Metro-area office occupancy reached a post-pandemic record high of 63.6%, while office visitation climbed to nearly 80% citywide and almost 86% in Class A+ buildings.

Office vacancy also fell to 12.9%, its lowest level since 2022.

Broadway attendance also remained above pre-pandemic levels at 101.1%, even after easing slightly from the previous month.

The city’s long-term unemployment rate climbed to 2.3%, its highest level in four years, while more New Yorkers are working part-time because they can’t find full-time work.

The report also notes private-sector employment dipped slightly in June after several months of gains.

Why mentoring matters more in the AI era (HBR) 

Main Street banks are a cheaper way to play the AI banking boom (Wall Street Journal) 

Satya Nadella says companies that trust one AI for everything may not survive (TechCrunch) 

Senior Associate, AI — Company Ventures ($170K-$195K / year + equity): You’ll source, diligence, model, and help make investment decisions, with AI as your area of depth. You’ll also bring real fluency to how the firm uses AI internally by contributing to and expanding upon the tools and workflows the team already runs. Apply here.

Chief of Staff to Josh Kopelman — First Round Capital ($170k / year): You’ll manage and track new investment opportunities, conduct research and investment diligence, and initiate and lead special projects, such as building internal products and research deep dives. Apply here. 

Product Manager — General Atlantic ($140k-$190k / year + equity): You’ll define and execute the core data and analytics product roadmap, translating firmwide priorities into clear, outcome-driven solutions for portfolio, fundraising, and operational use cases. You’ll also partner with tech leadership to guide build-versus-buy decisions and align the overall product strategy with business goals. Apply here. 

ProphetX, an NYC-based B2B sports prediction market, raised $35 million. Parlay Capital and Data Point Capital led, joined by FDJ Ventures, Greenwave Ventures, Connexa Capital, Impellent Ventures, the Operating Group, Sharp Alpha Advisors, Chicago Trading Company Ventures, Belvedere Trading, Ematiq, and principals at White Swan Data and Consolidated Trading.

Sent, an NYC-based AI messaging infrastructure startup, raised $12 million in Series A funding. Companyon Ventures led the round, joined by Bessemer Venture Partners, UIF, and CP Overture

⭐ August 6: A Chief of Staff Mixer, a night of problem-solving and peer-to-peer learning for Chiefs of Staff. Register here.

⭐ September 17-19: The Atlantic Festival returns to New York for three days of newsmaking conversations, exclusive screenings, book talks, and performances you won’t find anywhere else. Register here and get $100 off your one-day or two-day pass with code TECHNYC.

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: Matcha & Pastries for Founders, drop-in evening of hand-whisked matcha, cupcakes, and assorted pastries for Series A+ founders, C-suite operators, and anyone building in the startup space. Register here. 

July 30: Pilot Happy Hour: Tech & Early-Stage Attorneys, a happy hour in NoMad for attorneys working with tech and early-stage companies. Come unwind, swap notes, and connect with peers navigating similar work in the startup world. 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.

July 31: Brits in Tech – Coffee Meet, where you can grab a cuppa tea (or coffee if you must), with fellow founders and tech industry folks from across the pond. Register here. 

August 1: NYC Tech Basketball Run, a recurring basketball run for founders, investors, engineers, and operators who want to compete and connect off the screen. Register here. 

August 11: The VC’s Guide to Using AI Tools for Generating Alpha, a panel featuring some of the most thoughtful users of AI tools for sourcing, diligence, execution and portfolio management. 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.