Wednesday, August 19, 2026
In today’s digest, the Javits Center gets a tech upgrade, an odd otter sighting, and the latest on the state of pre-seed funding. 💸
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Governor Kathy Hochul has launched a series of listening sessions on how AI is changing work, starting today with a focus on women in jobs already feeling the technology’s impact. 🤖 (Axios)
The sessions are part of Governor Hochul’s FutureWorks Commission (of which Tech:NYC President and CEO Julie Samuels is a member), which will track AI’s impact on workers and propose policy and private-sector solutions by the end of the year.
The Javits Center just got a tech overhaul. A $5 million upgrade has made it the first U.S. convention center to offer Wi-Fi 7 (AKA the newest major generation of Wi-Fi), giving the Hudson Yards venue another tool to attract bigger conferences and events. 📶 (CRE Daily)
Case in point: Fanatics Fest grew from 70,000 attendees in 2024 to nearly 200,000 this July, while Javits estimates its bookings generated more than 100,000 hotel stays across the NYC region last year.
What’s the quintessential New York City animal? Some may say the pigeon, others the rat, but soon you might be saying… the otter?! That’s right, for the first time in more than 100 years, an otter was spotted in the Bronx River. (New York Times)
A Bronx Zoo researcher captured the photo of the otter using a motion-sensor camera, noting they’re “an indicator species of freshwater ecosystem health.”
In other reading:
These are the best public high schools in NYC for 2026-27: U.S. News (Patch)
A massive bagel competition is taking over Citi Field this fall, with Black Seed, Utopia, Ess-A-Bagel, and more (Time Out New York)
Central Park Zoo debuts endangered fluffy lemur twins Maso and Tonga (PIX 11)
Together with The Atlantic 🤝
Join The Atlantic Festival for conversations on the future of sports including Colin Kaepernick with Jemele Hill on his new memoir, and Champion Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and the 1999 FIFA World Cup champion goalkeeper Briana Scurry on where women’s sports is headed.
Two-day passes are on sale now! Register here and get $100 off with code TECHNYC.
Pre-Seed Funding Is Holding Up — But Investors Are Concentrating Their Bets
There’s still plenty of money flowing into the earliest stages of startup funding. But Carta’s latest State of Pre-Seed report shows investors are putting roughly the same amount of capital into fewer deals and increasingly concentrating it in AI.
Here’s what to know. 🧠
💰 More money per check: U.S. startups on Carta raised $3.19 billion through more than 11,500 SAFEs and convertible notes (two common ways investors fund startups now in exchange for the potential to receive equity later). That’s down from 14,825 investments totaling $3.22 billion a year earlier, pushing the average investment to a record $276,000, up 27% YoY.
Translation: Investors aren’t necessarily pulling back on pre-seed, but they’re making fewer, larger bets.
AI gets half the pie: AI startups captured 49% of all pre-seed dollars in the first half of 2026, essentially matching their 50% share for all of 2025. 🥧
But the growth may be leveling off: AI’s share climbed substantially from 32.3% in 2021, but has remained around 50% since last year.
📈 Founders are raising at higher valuations: Median SAFE valuation caps increased year-over-year across every round-size category in Q2.
For companies raising $1 million–$2.4 million, the median cap reached $18 million; for rounds above $2.5 million, it hit $35 million.
New York remains a pre-seed powerhouse (with some new competition): New York startups raised $242.6 million, or 8.6% of U.S. pre-seed funding, in Q2, placing the state third behind California and Texas. 🗽
New York City remained the No. 2 metro nationally, with $259 million raised, behind only the Bay Area and ahead of Austin.
🚀 The takeaway: Pre-seed capital is becoming more concentrated and we’re seeing both bigger checks and higher valuations, especially around AI.
Meanwhile, NYC remains one of the country’s biggest launchpads for early-stage startups.
In other reading:
Making AI readable: How AI can bridge the civic gap (Searchlight)
OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens (Fast Company)
The simple habit that can improve your odds of getting hired (Wall Street Journal)
Queen One, an NYC-based CRM, raised $25 million from insiders Mercury Fund, Full In, CT Innovations, CP Overture, Charge Ventures, and Inspired Capital.
Decoded Futures at Tech:NYC has opened applications for our next capacity-building AI program for social sector leaders. Participants will spend four days over six weeks building AI skills to strengthen operations and scale their impact in serving your communities. Apply here by August 23.
Applications are now open for Fierce Foundry’s Investment Readiness Bootcamp for Female Founders. This 6-week bootcamp is designed for women founders who are gearing up to fundraise and go-to-market. Gain access to the Fierce Foundry experts for guidance, to sharpen your pitch, and walk away with a real plan and real momentum. Apply here by August 20.
Applications are now open for the Center for Accelerating Financial Equity’s Fall 2026 Fintech Accelerator Program, a hands-on, immersive two-month experience where mission-driven founders gain direct exposure to financial institutions, regulators, and investors who are eager to collaborate. Apply here by August 26.
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is now accepting applications for the Make It in Brooklyn Climate Tech Pitch Contest, a competition supporting emerging companies developing innovative solutions to climate and environmental challenges. The winning startup will receive a $5,000 unrestricted cash prize from Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and up to an additional $5,000 in milestone-based commercialization support through the National Grid Clean Tech Incubation Grant. Apply here by August 30.
C10 Labs is now accepting applications for its AI Nexus Fall 2026 Cohort. This program is focused on creating and fostering transformational Applied AI ventures that drive inclusive economic growth and ensure that all New Yorkers benefit from the opportunities of the AI era. Apply here by August 31.
The Social Justice Fund is launching the Brooklyn Pitch Competition to help local businesses access the growth capital, strategic support, and connections they need to scale. The competition will award a total of $450,000 in unrestricted grant funding to selected Brooklyn-based businesses, including a $150,000 grand prize and additional finalist awards ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. Apply here by September 4.
CUNY 2x Tech’s NYC Tech Talent Pipeline Residency Program, connecting high-potential Computer Systems Technology students with NYC-based employers for 10-week, full-time internships focused on software engineering and data analytics. Employers can express interest here.
HubSpot’s How You Hustle, where you and your business could be featured and receive free press exposure to their 1.5 million subscribers. Apply here.
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