- Tech:NYC Digest
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- Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
In today’s digest, more composting, the best retail market in years, and the state of AI in the workplace. 📈
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The sanitation department wasn’t kidding when it said it was cracking down on composting. 👀 In the first week of the new mandate, the city issued 2,000 tickets to property owners for not separating organic waste from the rest of their building’s garbage. (Gothamist)
The good news? The enforcement has prompted more people to compost — city data showed the department collected 2.5 million pounds of compostable material since the same time last year (an increase of 737,000 pounds). 🗑️
NYC’s retail market has seen its best year on record since 2017. The amount of available retail space in Manhattan fell to 14.6% during the first three months of 2025, a half-point drop from last year’s previously-shattered record. 📈(Crain’s New York Business)
The success was due in part to major leases like German grocer Lidl signing a deal for 20,700 square feet in Kips Bay and Meow Wolf signing a 75,000 square foot lease at Seaport’s Pier 17. 🌇
New York City is under a freeze warning and officials are recommending those with green thumbs to bring their “tender” plants (think fruits, beans, and annuals) inside or to cover them. 🥶 (NBC New York)
This is the coldest temperatures we can expect this week, and we likely won’t be seeing temperatures this cold again until November (I know, I just jinxed it). 🌷
In other reading:
New Yorkers are lining up to eat in the city’s smallest dining rooms (Bloomberg)
NYC's tech in-crowd is making this cold-plunge and sauna studio the hottest spot in town (Business Insider)
New INTER exhibit lets you explore space through imagination in Soho (amNY)
➕ Less than a week left to apply to Cohort 3 of Decoded Futures at the Tech:NYC Foundation — our no-cost, seven-week program designed for NYC nonprofits looking to use AI to scale their impact.
Know a nonprofit that might be interested? Applications are open till April 15.
Want to volunteer? Technologists, apply here.
Over the past two months we’ve spotlighted how NYC startups are using AI in their everyday work and how NYC VCs are using it to make faster, smarter decisions. Today, let’s zoom out and look at how larger organizations are adopting Gen AI to drive value. Spoiler: It’s less about shiny tools, and more about workflow transformation, leadership alignment, and strategic risk management. 💡
According to the latest McKinsey State of AI report, AI adoption momentum is strong.
👩💼 Leadership matters: The McKinsey report makes one thing clear: C-suite involvement matters — especially when it comes to realizing measurable value from Gen AI.
53% of execs report using Gen AI tools at work — a sign of hands-on leadership.
CEO involvement in AI governance strongly correlates with higher EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) impact from Gen AI.
Execs are moving past “Should we adopt GenAI?” to “How do we scale it responsibly and effectively?”
🏗️ Gen AI is reshaping work: The shift is already underway — and growing fast.
78% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function — up from 72% in early 2024 and 55% in 2023.
Top areas of use? Marketing, product development, and IT.
The redesign of workflows — not just plugging in AI tools — has the strongest link to seeing real EBIT gains.
Still early days: Only 21% of organizations say they’ve fundamentally redesigned at least some workflows using Gen AI.
⚠️ Risk is on the radar: The good news? Orgs are starting to take risk management more seriously.
Compared to early 2024, more leaders now say they’re actively addressing risks like inaccuracy, cybersecurity, and IP infringement.
But only 38% report managing all of their top Gen AI-related risks.
Bottom line: While most organizations are still in early stages of Gen AI adoption and scaling, those seeing the biggest benefits are:
Redesigning work around AI, not just adding it.
Tracking well-defined KPIs to measure ROI.
And — especially at larger orgs — building roadmaps that connect experimentation to enterprise-wide impact.
Dig deeper: Read McKinsey’s ‘The state of AI: How organizations are rewiring to capture value’ report here.
In other reading:
Adaptis, an NYC-based provider of sustainable building software, raised $4 million in seed funding led by Building Ventures and with participation from MetaProp, 2048 Ventures, Powerhouse Ventures, and Blue Vision Capital.
Arena, an NYC-based hardware testing and optimization AI platform, raised $30 million in Series B funding. Fifth Down Capital, Initialized, and Goldcrest Capital led the round and were joined by existing investors Founders Fund, Shield Capital, and Friends and Family Capital.
Glimpse, an NYC-based provider of deduction management for CPG brands, raised $10 million in Series A funding led by 8VC.
HoneyHive, an NYC-based AI agent observability and evaluation platform, raised $7.4 million in funding. Insight Partners led the $5.5 million seed round and was joined by Zero Prime Ventures, 468 Capital, and MVP Ventures. Zero Prime Ventures led the $1.9 million pre-seed round and was joined by AIX Ventures, Firestreak Ventures, and angel investors.
Applications are open for Decoded Futures at the Tech:NYC Foundation — our no-cost, seven-week program designed for NYC nonprofits looking to use AI to scale their impact.
5050 is accepting applications for 5050 Accelerator, a 16-week program for scientists and engineers looking to start deep tech startups. Apply by April 13 here.
nextNYC’s Checkwriters dinner will bring together 10-12 New York VCs to hear from startups looking to close a round. Open to any pre-seed or seed round company with at least one professional VC, angel, or family office participating. Apply by April 15 here.
New Schools is accepting applications for the GenAI Math Tutoring Funding Opportunity, providing up to $300,000 in funding, expert assistance, and product feedback for selected ventures. Apply by April 18 here.
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, a four-month program providing funding and mentorship for early-stage companies. Apply by April 28 here.
Urban Future Lab hosts the Urban Future Prize Competition, which identifies and supports top climate-tech startups. Apply by April 28 here.
America on Tech is accepting applications for TECH360, a program for students to explore artificial intelligence and develop an AI-powered tool to pitch to mock clients. Apply here by the May 4 priority deadline.
Techstars Economic Mobility, for entrepreneurs designing innovative solutions that generate greater economic mobility for low- and moderate-income Americans. Register for the info session on April 17 here and apply by June 11 here.
Forum Ventures is accepting pitches for Forum for Founders, which will invest in 30+ companies over the next three months, offering $100K and admission to its pre-seed accelerator to provide personalized GTM and sales support. Apply here.
AcceleratorCON introduces Draft Combine, an opportunity for startups to be scouted by top accelerators and investors. Apply here.
Each month, Union Square Ventures hosts usvwork — a casual coworking day for founders and builders in NYC. Apply here.
Company Ventures’ Grand Central Tech Residency, for pre-seed/seed stage teams building venture-scale companies, or individuals launching a venture within six months. Apply here.