Latest news with #Tech:NYC
Business Insider
06-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
'SF, we're coming for you:' We went to NYC Tech Week, where everyone is saying the city is the land of opportunity
One of the clearest takeaways from New York's Andreessen Horowitz-sponsored Tech Week — a decentralized sprawl of happy hours with panoramic rooftop views, panels, and, this year, pickleball matches — was this: When it comes to building startups from AI to consumer to deep tech, New York is no longer playing catch up to attract startup interest. It might just be pulling ahead. "People don't come to New York to live in a group house and code all night and never see anyone else," said Julie Samuels, the president and CEO of Tech:NYC, an organization that promotes tech founders and entrepreneurship in the city, at a panel on Monday focused on AI startup innovation. Samules added that New York is the place to be for any founders eager to move fast on product and head count. "New Yorkers hire," she said. "People want to live here, have always wanted and will continue to want to live here." Getting into Tech Week wasn't exactly easy: Many events were full or required pre-approval on Partiful, the Andreessen-backed invite platform of choice. Still, Business Insider managed to drop in on a few of the week's activities, like a boozy happy hour on the rooftop of IBM's sleek Manhattan headquarters and Gen Z founders hobnobbing at a cosmetics store, to see what all the hype was about. NY is going all in on AI San Francisco has long reigned supreme as home to the industry's hottest AI startups: big-name LLM developers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Claude are all headquartered there, along with numerous other young companies at the app and infrastructure layer. One of the biggest themes at New York's tech week events, however, is that the Big Apple isn't just ready to welcome an AI startup here and there. The city's tech community is pushing to become a destination for all things AI. "The entire AI stack is in New York — you have ecosystems, agents, apps," said Emily Fontaine, IBM's global head of venture capital, during a panel discussion at the company's Madison Avenue headquarters early in the week. "When you come to New York, you have the whole spectrum to invest in," she said. "These are all companies that are well developed, have a product, and are starting to get revenue." Fontaine added that in New York, "compared to SF, you have strong founders who are actually driving revenue who are excited to go to market with us." At a power walk to kick off the event, most founders couldn't stop talking about AI. They spanned industries and geographies, but one told BI he was determined to make New York City the country's startup capital. "It's the second best. I want to make it the biggest startup ecosystem in the world," Somya Gupta, who cofounded an AI education startup, said. "SF, we're coming for you!" Founder Ben Spray said his next venture is an AI-powered IT department, but that the AI component is a marketing strategy, given how hot the technology is. "It's a little bit of a branding move," he told BI. "I mean, take my AI IT department — it's really just an IT department built from the ground up to fit into the AI world." Even local and state politicians are getting in on the AI push. At an Axios panel on Tuesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she's keen on using AI to train 100,000 state employees in offices like the DMV. "I'm not looking to eliminate their jobs," she said. "I see great potential here, and I leaned hard into this." Defense and hardware head East Science, defense, and hardware-oriented startups, known as deep tech companies, are a red-hot sector on the West Coast, though the New York scene is finally heating up. One standout was the rooftop party in SoHo hosted by Haus, a deep tech public relations and communications firm, and Stonegardens Advisory, a consultancy that advises startups breaking into defense. With swanky cocktails and cheese boards piled high, panelists dished out how to win key government contracts early. "The end goal was ultimately to help people who are building the space understand what it means to work with the Department of Defense, which is increasingly opening itself up to startups and learning how to work with these more early-stage companies," Daniel Oberhaus, who founded Haus, told BI in an interview. (Last week, the Pentagon launched a program to back college-founded startups that serve both commercial and government customers.) Deep tech may not be as big of a thing in New York as it is in El Segundo, Calif., a nucleus of aerospace, defense, and energy companies, Oberhaus admitted. But Newlab, a warehouse and startup space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, thinks that New York's software chops and engineering talent will make the city's hardware companies rival the West Coast. Newlab is tricked out with offices and labs, which have attracted early-stage deep tech startups. A hub for consumer apps and Gen Z founders Consumer startups — especially those built for or by Gen Z — are also having a moment in the city that never sleeps. At one happy hour on Wednesday, founders of consumer startups mingled over drinks to talk about the apps they're building. Naturally, the event (which was cohosted by Consumer Club, a Discord community for consumer founders, and Superwall, a paywall tool for apps) took place at coworking space and consumer startup hub Verci. Some startups in the crowd included BePresent, a screen time control app that works out of the Verci space. A16z's Speedrun startup school also had a presence there, with an investor and recent alumni, like Waveful, a social network that was part of the most recent Speedrun cohort. Lekondo, a visual search engine for fashion, told us they were recently accepted into Speedrun's upcoming cohort. That same night, we also stopped by another mixer for Gen Z founders and creators, put together by Natalie Neptune, founder of GenZtea, an IRL events business that aims to connect brands with Gen Z, at skincare brand Kiehl's. Nathaneo Johnson, a Yale student who cofounded the buzzy professional networking startup Series, was among the Gen Z founders in the crowd. "You're seeing an increase of these AI-powered social networks," said Neptune. The NY vs. SF debate rages on Wherever we went, the techies were ready to socialize — perhaps markedly different from the builder culture vibe in San Francisco. Loosened up by seemingly endless trays of spicy margaritas and champagne at yet another rooftop party, this one at IBM, the crowd was lively and relaxed. Attendees, wearing button-downs rumpled from a day's work, didn't just talk business: Conversations evolved into debates on everything from global politics to the misfortunes of dating in New York City. "Tech Week has proven NYC is a mainstay and a competitive market for tech," Molly O'Shea, founder of venture-focused newsletter Sourcery, told BI in a text. O'Shea moderated two panels at Tech Week. "I'm sure many visitors (like me) are contemplating moving here to get some of this energy."
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Inside NYNext groundbreaking AI event at New York Tech Week
On Tuesday night as part of New York Tech Week, NYNext joined forces with Tech:NYC and PensarAI to host our first-ever event. The night celebrated the key players — from scrappy startups to giants such as Google and IBM — that are making big moves in artificial intelligence. Nearly 150 people took part in NY AI Demo Night. Founders and venture capitalists snacked on figs and tuna tartar and sipped rosé — as well as our new favorite non-alcoholic beverage Töst — at the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg. The factory has gotten a major facelift and now houses a number of startups as well as a sweeping view of Manhattan. Eight AI companies presented their newest ideas to the audience with the goal of getting people to download their apps and invest in their companies 4 Julie Samuels, who runs Tech: NYC — which plays a major role in hosting Tech Week — addressed attendees. Emmy Park 'One of the most unique aspects of the NY tech scene is the ability to bring together and showcase tech heavyweights implementing AI at scale alongside startups in deep builder mode,' Caroline McKechnie, Director of Platform at Tech:NYC, told me. 'We saw a real need for an event that gives founders and engineers a window into what's being built across the city's AI landscape — all against the iconic skyline. The energy of having established players and emerging talent demo side by side is something you can only capture in a city like New York.' Reality Defender, which detects deepfakes, showed just how effective it is in finding AI-generated images among a slew of photos. Founder Ben Colman told me it would have made the plot of HBO's 'Mountainhead' — a film based on the premise that deep fakes are destroying the world — completely null. 4 More than 150 guests came to our New York Tech Week event. Tech Week has ballooned to more than 1,000 events this year. Emmy Park PromptLayer, which aims to empower lay people to create their own apps with AI, demonstrated how seamless it is for anyone to prompt AI to build a product. Founder Jared Zoneraich said, 'The best AI builders, the best prompt engineers are not machine learning engineers … they're subject matter experts.' Representatives from IBM presented their newest insights into AI. But the company also made headlines this week with its newly unveiled watsonx AI Labs in NYC. 'This isn't your typical corporate lab. watsonx AI Labs is where the best AI developers gain access to world-class engineers and resources and build new businesses and applications that will reshape AI for the enterprise,' Ritika Gunnar, General Manager, Data & AI, IBM, told me. 'By anchoring this mission in New York City, we are investing in a diverse, world‑class talent pool and a vibrant community whose innovations have long shaped the tech landscape.' 4 NYNext co-hosted the evening with PensarAI, Two Trees, and Tech: NYC. Emmy Park Other presenters included Flora, an AI tool for creatives; a podcast and newsletter network powered by AI; Superblocks, an AI platform building software; Run Loop AI, which helps companies scale coding; and Google's Deepmind. This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC's power players (and those who aspire to be). The event was just one piece of what has become a sprawling and celebratory week for anyone in technology. 4 The event was hosted in Williamsburg where the Domino Sugar Refinery has gotten a major facelift — and now houses dozens of tech startups. Emmy Park The idea for a tech week came from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The firm launched with a Tech Week in Los Angeles in 2022. In 2023, they expanded to San Francisco and New York City. Since the first New York Tech Week in 2023, the seven-day conference has ballooned to more than 1,000 events with 60,000 RSVPs. This year, over half of the events focused on AI. 'The energy that is in this room, the startups that we're going to hear from, these are the ideas that are going to propel New York's economy for generations to come,' Tech:NYC CEO Julie Samuels told me. 'These are the idea that are gonna change the way we all live, we all work, we all do business, we communicate. We are on the cusp of such an exciting time for New York, and tonight is just a little bit of a flavor of that.' Send NYNext a tip: nynextlydia@
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IBM Unveils watsonx AI Labs: The Ultimate Accelerator for AI Builders, Startups and Enterprises in New York City
New AI initiative will co-create gen AI solutions with IBM clients, nurture NYC talent, advance enterprise AI implementations NEW YORK, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced watsonx AI Labs, a new, developer-first innovation hub in New York City, designed to supercharge AI builders and accelerate AI adoption at scale. watsonx AI Labs connects IBM's enterprise resources and expertise with the next generation of AI developers in order to build breakthrough AI applications for business. Located in the heart of Manhattan at IBM's new offices at One Madison, watsonx AI Labs extends IBM's global network of engineering labs, bringing together IBM researchers and engineers in a collaborative hub dedicated to co-creating and advancing meaningful, agentic AI solutions. The lab will work side-by-side with startups, scale-ups, and the world's largest enterprises to help clients unlock real-world value from their AI. The lab benefits from – and helps fuel – New York City's status as a global AI hub. New York City has more than 2,000 AI startups, and its AI workforce grew by nearly 25% from 2022 to 2023, according to Tech:NYC. Since 2019, more than 1,000 AI-related companies in New York City have raised $27 billion in funding. Also today, continuing its commitment to the local startup ecosystem, IBM announced it will acquire expertise and license technology from Seek AI, the New York City-based startup building AI agents to harness enterprise data. Seek AI helps businesses leverage agentic AI to mine value from enterprise data, and their expertise will serve as a foundational part of watsonx AI Labs. "This isn't your typical corporate lab. watsonx AI Labs is where the best AI developers gain access to world-class engineers and resources and build new businesses and applications that will reshape AI for the enterprise," said Ritika Gunnar, General Manager, Data & AI, IBM. "By anchoring this mission in New York City, we are investing in a diverse, world‑class talent pool and a vibrant community whose innovations have long shaped the tech landscape." "IBM's launch of watsonx AI Labs signals a transformative investment in New York's innovation ecosystem. By bringing together world-class engineering talent, emerging startups, and deep enterprise expertise right here in the heart of the city, this initiative strengthens New York's position as a global hub for responsible and cutting-edge AI development," said Julie Samuels, President and CEO of Tech:NYC. "It's a win for our tech sector, communities, workforce, and economy. We're thrilled to see IBM betting big on the extraordinary talent and entrepreneurial spirit that make this city so unique." The lab seeks to tap into New York City's rich technology landscape by attracting local talent, pursuing collaborations with local universities and research institutions, and supporting local entrepreneurs. Consistent with IBM's long-standing investment in New York State, over the next five years, local startups that successfully launch AI enterprise solutions at the lab will have access to technical experts, mentorship and amplification, as well as potential investment from IBM Ventures and its global $500M Enterprise AI Venture Fund. "Building a foundational part of watsonx AI Labs allows us to pair our expertise building data agents with IBM's engineering depth to solve clients' toughest AI challenges," said Sarah Nagy, CEO of Seek AI. "We're excited to tackle these challenges here in New York City, where Seek AI was founded and the AI talent and innovation ecosystem is thriving." watsonx AI Labs will focus on co-creation of domain‑specific AI solutions to solve enterprises' most complex challenges – from customer service and supply‑chain optimization to cybersecurity, responsible AI governance, and open-source AI. To learn more about participating in the watsonx AI Labs, visit About IBMIBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. Visit for more information. Media contact: Kevin ZawackiIBM Software View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE IBM Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
30-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Biggest NY Tech Week ever shows Gotham's AI and robotics poised to challenge Silicon Valley's dominance
The Big Apple is getting bigger when it comes to artificial intelligence and robotics. Those growing industries will be the center of attention at NY Tech Week 2025, running June 2–8. It's set to be the largest iteration of the conference yet, with more than 1,000 events — more than half of which deal with AI — spread across all five boroughs and a total of 60,000 RSVPs. 3 A sign advertises the 2024 iteration of NY Tech Week, presented by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). Last year, there were about 730 events across the city. This year, there's over 1,000. Courtesy of Andreessen Horowitz / Tech Week 'It's an enormous milestone,' Julie Samuels — president and CEO of Tech:NYC, a nonprofit network of companies and entrepreneurs that is hosting multiple events — told NYNext. 'It's amazing how diverse our tech ecosystem is and that so many people will be here exchanging ideas.' The week's standouts include 'Next Play,' led by IBM and centered on the intersection of sports and AI, on June 2; Tech:NYC's 'Decoded Futures Social Impact AI Showcase' on June 6; and panels and salons hosted by the likes of Anthropic, OpenAI, Mistral and Perplexity. For the first time ever, robotics will be the focus of over half a dozen events — a leap from zero last year. 3 Tech Week is a decentralized conference made up of meetups, panels, and demos, effectively turning New York City into an open platform for innovation. Courtesy of Andreessen Horowitz/ Tech Week On June 2, New York Robotics and the NY Tech Alliance will host 'Exploring Embodied and Physical AI' at Civic Hall in Union Square. The event will feature NYU researcher Anya Zorin and her project RUKA — a robotic hand developed with Professor Lerrel Pinto at the General-purpose Robotics and AI Lab — which can sense and respond to touch. 'AI's all the buzz, right, but not everyone realizes that robotics is such a huge part of the AI story,' said Randy Howie, co-founder and managing partner of New York Robotics. 'Robotics is AI in the physical world.' Elsewhere during the week, founders will pitch their startups in a literal moving elevator at Hudson Yards and swing racquets at a 'Pickleball and Tech Pals' tournament in Central Park. And the city's biggest players — including Amazon Web Services, JPMorgan Chase, and Google — will host panels and private mixers. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) first launched Tech Week in Los Angeles in 2022. In 2023, it expanded to San Francisco and New York City. 3 Google is joining industry heavyweights including Amazon Web Services and JPMorgan Chase as hosts for events during NY Tech Week. Christopher Sadowski While Silicon Valley still paces the nation in terms of venture capital, NYC is increasingly carving out its own tech identity — particularly in the realm of hard tech, which includes robotics, advanced manufacturing and other engineering-heavy ventures that demand more than code. This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC's power players (and those who aspire to be). Tech now accounts for more than 10% of the city's GDP (up from 6% in 2013) and has driven 14% of all job growth in the past decade, according to Samuels. 'New York is uniquely positioned,' said Ryan Musto, senior associate at Alumni Ventures and host of the 'America Assembled: Robotics & Trade' event on June 4. 'You don't have to go far back to remember when New York was the manufacturing headquarters of North America. It's in our DNA.' For most Tech Week events, admission is free but attendance is capped. Send NYNext a tip: nynextlydia@
New York Post
30-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Tech:NYC founder says city is in a ‘golden era' of innovation — and Covid is partly to thank
NY: Tech Week has become one of, if not, the most important event for startups and VCs in New York with investors like a16z and Union Square all hosting events next week. Ahead of the convention, I spoke with Julie Samuels, the President and CEO of Tech:NYC and a driving force behind Tech Week. She founded Tech:NYC — which aims to foster the growth of the industry through advocacy, events, and policy work — in 2016 when Gotham was still emerging as a potential hub. Advertisement 3 Julie Samuels has become a de facto liaison between the tech community in New York and government officials. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post 'We were still talking about which city, which region of the US would be number two behind the Valley, which sounds, I mean, which sounds crazy,' Samuels recalled. Today, New York City is a dominant tech center in its own right, with over 25,000 tech-enabled startups and major players like Google and Amazon. Samuels thinks the fact that New Yorkers have interests beyond AI and APIs is a huge advantage over Silicon Valley's insular tech culture. This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC's power players (and those who aspire to be). Advertisement The fact that New York City is home to industries like fashion, media, and finance not only attracts a more diverse kind of person but also encourages them to think about broader applications of technology. 'I think it's much healthier and much more dynamic than what's happening in the Valley — it's so much more integrated into other industries… it's much healthier for the economy' she explained. 'You're not just in this little bubble where you're only learning about AI and talking with other people in AI… and I think that's reflected in a lot of the companies in New York.' She notes that the pandemic freed up Silicon Valley talent to live wherever and many decided to relocate to NYC. 3 Samuels believes that tech giants are helping revitalize NYC real estate. Photo by Hollis Johnson / Amazon Advertisement 'That stronghold really broke during Covid,' she said. 'New York saw more new tech employees moving here.' That's created a rich environment. 'You uniquely have an industry of people who love New York. That's amazing,' she said. 'We're in this golden era of tech in New York where people are choosing to be here. And that's awesome.' It's also been a boon for NYC real estate. Advertisement 3 Amazon's newest NYC office is in the old Lord & Taylor building. Photo by Hollis Johnson / Amazon While the failed Amazon HQ2 project in Queens was 'terrible for New York,' Samuels noted that the company has since poured a fortune into their physical presence. 'Since that happened, Amazon bought the old Lord & Taylor Building on Fifth Avenue which… now is completely full.' Similarly, Google's renovation of St. John's Terminal on the West Side exemplifies how tech companies are breathing new life into historic spaces. 'We see other tech companies doing that too, by the way. It really speaks to how New York evolves as a city, that new industries come into these older spaces,' Samuels observes. 'So we have to figure out how to revive our infrastructure, how to revive our buildings. And tech is driving that. It's really, really important for the future of the city.'
