Obviously NYC

June 02, 2025

Hi friends,

When I moved to New York City, there were only a few hundred startups. Today, there are tens of thousands. This week alone there will be >1,000 events at NY Tech Week. That rate of change is the backdrop for Obviously NYC, a new Tech:NYC initiative I’m proud to help launch.

What is Obviously NYC?

New York is already the capital of everything. Obviously NYC puts that fact on a billboard. Created by Tech:NYC with Red Antler and NYCEDC, the program gives any founder, investor, or operator three easy ways to show their New York roots:

  • Claim a badge. Add it to your site, LinkedIn header, email footer, or wherever you plant your flag.

  • Tag #ObviouslyNYC on social media. Share why you work here. We’ll amplify your stories.

  • Map your favorite local spots. They’ll land on the public map. We’ll share them with others.

By The Numbers

These numbers are the new baseline. I expect they’ll keep climbing. That’s the spirit of Obviously NYC.

  • 369k+ tech jobs city-wide. Up 64 % since 2014 and responsible for 41% of all post-pandemic job gains (42,372 new roles since 2019).

  • Software developers have tripled to ≈67,700, jumping from the 34th to the 11th-largest job in NYC’s economy.

  • 8,750 funded startups now operate in the five boroughs, greater than SF’s 7,787 and 2× LA or Boston (though still trailing the Bay Area).

  • AI momentum: 870 funded AI startups (+93 % since 2019) and 25,337 local job postings requiring AI skills in 2024, >9,000 more than SF.

  • NYC drew 20% of all U.S. AI venture dollars in 2024 and 30% of national fintech funding ($4.9 B), beating Silicon Valley in fintech.

  • $21.8 B has already flowed into NYC-based AI companies (2018-22), fueling 40k AI jobs and counting.

Flybridge Events @ NY Tech Week

⚙️ AI Tools Workshop w/ Cliff Worley — Mon 6/2, morning. Cliff (author of Cliff’s Notes) walks through the AI products that make his marketing stack run. Register

💵 $50 K Next Wave NYC AI Pitch Competition — Mon 6/2, afternoon. Twelve pre-seed AI teams, one live demo round, and a $50 K investment on the line thanks to Lynx Collective, Mercury, and Goodwin. Register

🍩 Bytes & Bites: B2B Founders Kickoff — Tue 6/3, breakfast. Meet investors from 2048 Ventures, Bloomberg Beta, M13, Stage 2 Capital, and more. Fuel by Carta, Rho, MoFo, and Captivate Talent. Register

🤖 100 Women in AI Celebration — Tue 6/3, rooftop evening. Honoring our inaugural “100 Women in AI” list, co-hosted with XFactor Ventures and Riviera Partners. Register

🎵 Creative Frequency — Wed 6/4, afternoon. Founders, creators, and investors. Hosted with Sony Music, Wells Fargo CIB, and NextDoor Creatives. Register

Quick Ways to Help

  1. Forward this to one person new to the ecosystem.

  2. Add #ObviouslyNYC to your posts this week.

  3. If you’re hiring, let me know.

Until next time,

— Jesse