Ecosystem Snapshot
The tech sector is one of the largest and fastest-growing areas of New York’s economy. Representing hundreds of thousands of jobs and record levels of investments, NYC stands as a leading hub for homegrown startups, the most successful global companies, and the application of new technologies, including, of course, AI.
Below is our snapshot of the most recent industry datapoints and other resources on the tech ecosystem’s contributions to NYC’s overall economy.
Updated November 2026
Ecosystem Snapshot
The tech sector is one of the largest and fastest-growing areas of New York’s economy. Representing hundreds of thousands of jobs and record levels of investments, NYC stands as a leading hub for homegrown startups, the most successful global companies, and the application of new technologies, including, of course, AI.
Below is our snapshot of the most recent industry datapoints and other resources on the tech ecosystem’s contributions to NYC’s overall economy.
Updated November 2026
NYC tech ecosystem at a glance
NYC’s tech ecosystem supports 845,000 jobs and generates $327 billion in annual economic output when accounting for its direct activity and broader ripple effects across the economy, equivalent to 12% of all NYC jobs and nearly one quarter (24%) of citywide economic output.
NYC is the second-most valuable tech hub in the world, home to 25,000+ tech-enabled startups, with $713+ billion in startup ecosystem value, reflecting the value created through startup valuations and exits over time.
In the last decade, NYC’s tech ecosystem has grown 32%, more than double the San Francisco Bay Area’s 14% growth rate.
NYC-area startups raised $26.6 billion across 1,088 deals in H1 2026, nearly matching the full-year 2025 total of $28.4 billion.
NYC has 2,000+ AI-related companies and roughly 120 unicorns.
Tech accounts for 10% of all employment growth citywide over the past decade, and 41% of the city’s net job growth from 2019 to 2025 during pandemic recovery.
Since launching in 2024, Empire AI, New York’s $500 million+ public-private consortium, has supported 130+ research projects, 500+ researchers, and is projected to increase R&D productivity by $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.
NYC tech ecosystem at a glance
NYC’s tech ecosystem supports 845,000 jobs and generates $327 billion in annual economic output when accounting for its direct activity and broader ripple effects across the economy, equivalent to 12% of all NYC jobs and nearly one quarter (24%) of citywide economic output.
NYC is the second-most valuable tech hub in the world, home to 25,000+ tech-enabled startups, with $713+ billion in startup ecosystem value, reflecting the value created through startup valuations and exits over time.
In the last decade, NYC’s tech ecosystem has grown 32%, more than double the San Francisco Bay Area’s 14% growth rate.
NYC-area startups raised $26.6 billion across 1,088 deals in H1 2026, nearly matching the full-year 2025 total of $28.4 billion.
NYC has 2,000+ AI-related companies and roughly 120 unicorns.
Tech accounts for 10% of all employment growth citywide over the past decade, and 41% of the city’s net job growth from 2019 to 2025 during pandemic recovery.
Since launching in 2024, Empire AI, New York’s $500 million+ public-private consortium, has supported 130+ research projects, 500+ researchers, and is projected to increase R&D productivity by $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.
Jobs
More than 452,000 people are directly employed by NYC’s tech ecosystem, representing about 7% of the city’s workforce. The ecosystem supports an additional ~393,000 jobs elsewhere in the economy through indirect and induced impacts, bringing tech’s total employment footprint to 845,000 jobs, 12% of all NYC employment.
The New York metro area has overtaken the Bay Area as the nation’s largest tech talent market.
In the last decade, the tech ecosystem has added 110,000 jobs, approximately 10% of the total job growth in the city’s economy between 2016 and 2026, growing by 32%.
Tech accounts for 10% of all employment growth citywide over the past decade, and 41% of the city’s net job growth from 2019 to 2025 during pandemic recovery.
For every job directly supported by the tech ecosystem, 0.9 additional jobs are supported elsewhere in the economy, and every $1 spent directly in the ecosystem generates another $0.51 in economic activity.
NYC’s tech sector is the city’s largest driver of new middle- and high-wage jobs, adding jobs at nearly 10x the rate of the overall city economy since the pandemic.
In the first half of 2026, more than 55,000 NYC job postings asked for AI or machine-learning skills, a 2.7-fold increase over the same period in 2025. These skills now appear in nearly 14% of city job postings (2.3 times the national share).
AI-related employment opportunities in NYC have grown at double the national rate.
94% of surveyed NYC executives say their organizations are deploying AI, with nearly half (46%) scaling tools and use cases that have already demonstrated measurable value.
New York City is the leading destination for college-educated movers, capturing 6.1%, nearly twice the share of any other U.S. city.
Software development roles in the city have more than tripled since 2011, and there are now more software developers in the city’s finance sector than bank tellers.
Jobs
More than 452,000 people are directly employed by NYC’s tech ecosystem, representing about 7% of the city’s workforce. The ecosystem supports an additional ~393,000 jobs elsewhere in the economy through indirect and induced impacts, bringing tech’s total employment footprint to 845,000 jobs, 12% of all NYC employment.
The New York metro area has overtaken the Bay Area as the nation’s largest tech talent market.
In the last decade, the tech ecosystem has added 110,000 jobs, approximately 10% of the total job growth in the city’s economy between 2016 and 2026, growing by 32%.
Tech accounts for 10% of all employment growth citywide over the past decade, and 41% of the city’s net job growth from 2019 to 2025 during pandemic recovery.
For every job directly supported by the tech ecosystem, 0.9 additional jobs are supported elsewhere in the economy, and every $1 spent directly in the ecosystem generates another $0.51 in economic activity.
NYC’s tech sector is the city’s largest driver of new middle- and high-wage jobs, adding jobs at nearly 10x the rate of the overall city economy since the pandemic.
In the first half of 2026, more than 55,000 NYC job postings asked for AI or machine-learning skills, a 2.7-fold increase over the same period in 2025. These skills now appear in nearly 14% of city job postings (2.3 times the national share).
AI-related employment opportunities in NYC have grown at double the national rate.
94% of surveyed NYC executives say their organizations are deploying AI, with nearly half (46%) scaling tools and use cases that have already demonstrated measurable value.
New York City is the leading destination for college-educated movers, capturing 6.1%, nearly twice the share of any other U.S. city.
Software development roles in the city have more than tripled since 2011, and there are now more software developers in the city’s finance sector than bank tellers.
Funding
NYC-area startups have raised $37.8 billion across 1,526 deals through the first three quarters of 2026, already more than any full year on record except 2021 ($53.4 billion), according to the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor.
Q2 2026 was the NYC area’s strongest second quarter on record, with $14.5 billion invested across 551 deals, up 111% year over year.
Major NYC rounds in H1 2026 included Ramp ($750M), Flourish ($500M), and General Intuition ($320M).
New York produced three of the world’s 10 largest venture deals in 2025: Polymarket ($2.15B), Reflection AI ($2.13B), and Kalshi ($1.485B).
AI made up 65.4% of all U.S. VC deal value and 39.4% of deal count in 2025.
The median NYC AI company has raised more than its San Francisco counterpart, $9 million versus $5.5 million.
Funding
NYC-area startups have raised $37.8 billion across 1,526 deals through the first three quarters of 2026, already more than any full year on record except 2021 ($53.4 billion), according to the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor.
Q2 2026 was the NYC area’s strongest second quarter on record, with $14.5 billion invested across 551 deals, up 111% year over year.
Major NYC rounds in H1 2026 included Ramp ($750M), Flourish ($500M), and General Intuition ($320M).
New York produced three of the world’s 10 largest venture deals in 2025: Polymarket ($2.15B), Reflection AI ($2.13B), and Kalshi ($1.485B).
AI made up 65.4% of all U.S. VC deal value and 39.4% of deal count in 2025.
The median NYC AI company has raised more than its San Francisco counterpart, $9 million versus $5.5 million.
Talent & workforce
Over the last 10 years, NYC’s tech ecosystem lapped San Francisco’s, growing 32% to the Bay Area’s 14%.
Executives say NYC’s unique reputation offers the greatest boost for AI recruitment efforts, with 72% ranking it in their top 5 and 22% naming it the single most important factor.
Demand for AI talent in NYC is accelerating faster than the national average, with job postings up 120% year over year and gen AI postings more than doubling.
Average annual wage for tech talent in New York is $152,738, up 13.7% over three years, with software developers averaging $155,310.
Black and Hispanic New Yorkers make up 22% of the tech ecosystem workforce compared to 35% citywide. Over 40% of NYC’s total workforce is represented by immigrants from 200+ countries and cultures.
83% of tech workers who work in NYC also live in NYC.
Women make up 34% of tech ecosystem jobs in NYC, compared to 23% of the U.S. tech workforce.
Talent & workforce
Over the last 10 years, NYC’s tech ecosystem lapped San Francisco’s, growing 32% to the Bay Area’s 14%.
Executives say NYC’s unique reputation offers the greatest boost for AI recruitment efforts, with 72% ranking it in their top 5 and 22% naming it the single most important factor.
Demand for AI talent in NYC is accelerating faster than the national average, with job postings up 120% year over year and gen AI postings more than doubling.
Average annual wage for tech talent in New York is $152,738, up 13.7% over three years, with software developers averaging $155,310.
Black and Hispanic New Yorkers make up 22% of the tech ecosystem workforce compared to 35% citywide. Over 40% of NYC’s total workforce is represented by immigrants from 200+ countries and cultures.
83% of tech workers who work in NYC also live in NYC.
Women make up 34% of tech ecosystem jobs in NYC, compared to 23% of the U.S. tech workforce.
Education & diversity
New York produces more tech degree graduates than any U.S. metro: 24,459 in 2024, up 13% since 2021.
NYC attracted 10.9% of all U.S. graduates in 2025, making it the #1 destination for new grads in the U.S.
NYC retains 66% of its graduates, a higher rate than both the Bay Area and Boston.
Technology apprenticeships have grown nearly 2,000% since 2022 in NYC.
Cornell Tech has incubated 120+ startups with over $1 billion in combined valuation.
NYC is home to the largest public university system in the U.S. (CUNY), where 50% of STEM students are Black and/or Hispanic, and 71% of STEM students come from households earning under $40,000.
Female-founded companies in NYC are outperforming their peers in the rest of the nation, raising $955 million across 143 deals.
The New York metro area is a leader in the country in deals for all-female founding teams.
New York is investing $500+ million in Empire AI, the most powerful academic research AI supercomputer in the country, expanding access to advanced AI computing infrastructure for both researchers and students across the state’s public and private universities.
Education & diversity
New York produces more tech degree graduates than any U.S. metro: 24,459 in 2024, up 13% since 2021.
NYC attracted 10.9% of all U.S. graduates in 2025, making it the #1 destination for new grads in the U.S.
NYC retains 66% of its graduates, a higher rate than both the Bay Area and Boston.
Technology apprenticeships have grown nearly 2,000% since 2022 in NYC.
Cornell Tech has incubated 120+ startups with over $1 billion in combined valuation.
NYC is home to the largest public university system in the U.S. (CUNY), where 50% of STEM students are Black and/or Hispanic, and 71% of STEM students come from households earning under $40,000.
Female-founded companies in NYC are outperforming their peers in the rest of the nation, raising $955 million across 143 deals.
The New York metro area is a leader in the country in deals for all-female founding teams.
New York is investing $500+ million in Empire AI, the most powerful academic research AI supercomputer in the country, expanding access to advanced AI computing infrastructure for both researchers and students across the state’s public and private universities.
Sectors
AI
New York City is home to more than 2,000 venture-backed AI companies that have raised a combined $78.5 billion and employ about 187,000 people, making it the country’s second-largest AI hub.
NYC has 74 AI unicorns, second only to San Francisco’s 151 and nearly three times Boston’s 27. New York minted 15 new AI unicorns through August 2026, more than double the seven added in all of 2025.
NYC-based AI companies raised $16.47 billion in 2025, the highest value ever raised in a single year.
AI companies leased more than 2.2 million square feet of NYC office space in the first half of 2026, over twice their 2025 total.
40,000+ AI professionals are based in NYC, and 17.2% of the region’s tech talent now has AI skills.
NYC has the highest number of AI-skilled job postings in the U.S.
The New York metro area added more than 20,000 AI-specialty jobs since mid-2025.
AI-related employment opportunities in NYC have grown at double the national rate.
96% of NYC executives plan to keep recruiting AI talent over the next one to two years, and just 9% now see job elimination as a leading AI challenge, down 27 percentage points from 2025.
AI companies have leased more than 4.8M SF in NYC over the past decade, up from roughly 460K SF held in 2014, a more than 10x increase.
Executives say NYC’s unique reputation offers the greatest boost for AI recruitment efforts, with 72% ranking it in their top 5 and 22% naming it the single most important factor.
About 5% of NYC entry-level job postings sought AI skills in the first half of 2026, compared with 1.8% nationally.
Fintech
NYC remains the nation’s leading fintech hub, capturing the largest share of funding in the nation.
Finance-focused companies account for 10 of the city’s 74 AI unicorns, more than any other industry.
NYC has about 1.7 times San Francisco’s share of AI companies in accounting and finance, and nearly 3 times its share in asset and financial management.
NYC accounts for 27% of total U.S. fintech funding, more than any other city in the U.S.
NYC fintech startups attracted $10.5 billion in VC investment across 460 deals in 2025, ranking New York the #1 fintech VC market in the United States.
Fintech accounted for roughly $150 million in seed funding in H1 2026.
Fintech drove NYC’s record October: five of the month’s six $100M+ rounds went to fintech companies (Ramp, Kalshi, Whop, Valon, and Capitolis), totaling $3.32B, or 67% of all capital raised.
Ramp raised $2.6B across two rounds in 2026, and Kalshi raised $1B in both March and October 2026.
Health
New York houses 1,046 funded tech startups in healthcare, the highest number in the nation.
New York health startups raised about $2.8 billion across roughly 76 deals in H1 2026.
~17% of VC investments in health tech nationwide went to New York-based companies in 2025, second only to the Bay Area.
New York City has 144 healthcare AI companies, the third-largest AI subsector in the city. Healthcare makes up a larger share of NYC’s AI companies than San Francisco’s (6.9% versus 5.4%), with six healthcare AI unicorns.
New York City’s 45+ active health tech funds drive larger rounds at every stage, seed through Series B, averaging nearly 30% higher than San Francisco’s digital health funding.
New York healthcare innovation companies raised $1.9 billion across 36 deals in Q3 2026, up 58% from Q2 and 36% year over year. Through the first three quarters, New York healthcare companies raised $4.7 billion across 112 deals.
Late-stage rounds captured 86% of Q3 funding, and the five largest deals accounted for 56% of all capital raised.
Half of Q3 2026’s 10 largest rounds went to AI-powered companies. Some of the major Q3 New York health funding rounds included EliseAI ($350M), Precision ($250M), Fortell ($163M), Rightway ($155M), and Forus ($150M).
Sectors
AI
New York City is home to more than 2,000 venture-backed AI companies that have raised a combined $78.5 billion and employ about 187,000 people, making it the country’s second-largest AI hub.
NYC has 74 AI unicorns, second only to San Francisco’s 151 and nearly three times Boston’s 27. New York minted 15 new AI unicorns through August 2026, more than double the seven added in all of 2025.
NYC-based AI companies raised $16.47 billion in 2025, the highest value ever raised in a single year.
AI companies leased more than 2.2 million square feet of NYC office space in the first half of 2026, over twice their 2025 total.
40,000+ AI professionals are based in NYC, and 17.2% of the region’s tech talent now has AI skills.
NYC has the highest number of AI-skilled job postings in the U.S.
The New York metro area added more than 20,000 AI-specialty jobs since mid-2025.
AI-related employment opportunities in NYC have grown at double the national rate.
96% of NYC executives plan to keep recruiting AI talent over the next one to two years, and just 9% now see job elimination as a leading AI challenge, down 27 percentage points from 2025.
AI companies have leased more than 4.8M SF in NYC over the past decade, up from roughly 460K SF held in 2014, a more than 10x increase.
Executives say NYC’s unique reputation offers the greatest boost for AI recruitment efforts, with 72% ranking it in their top 5 and 22% naming it the single most important factor.
About 5% of NYC entry-level job postings sought AI skills in the first half of 2026, compared with 1.8% nationally.
Fintech
NYC remains the nation’s leading fintech hub, capturing the largest share of funding in the nation.
Finance-focused companies account for 10 of the city’s 74 AI unicorns, more than any other industry.
NYC has about 1.7 times San Francisco’s share of AI companies in accounting and finance, and nearly 3 times its share in asset and financial management.
NYC accounts for 27% of total U.S. fintech funding, more than any other city in the U.S.
NYC fintech startups attracted $10.5 billion in VC investment across 460 deals in 2025, ranking New York the #1 fintech VC market in the United States.
Fintech accounted for roughly $150 million in seed funding in H1 2026.
Fintech drove NYC’s record October: five of the month’s six $100M+ rounds went to fintech companies (Ramp, Kalshi, Whop, Valon, and Capitolis), totaling $3.32B, or 67% of all capital raised.
Ramp raised $2.6B across two rounds in 2026, and Kalshi raised $1B in both March and October 2026.
Health
New York houses 1,046 funded tech startups in healthcare, the highest number in the nation.
New York health startups raised about $2.8 billion across roughly 76 deals in H1 2026.
~17% of VC investments in health tech nationwide went to New York-based companies in 2025, second only to the Bay Area.
New York City has 144 healthcare AI companies, the third-largest AI subsector in the city. Healthcare makes up a larger share of NYC’s AI companies than San Francisco’s (6.9% versus 5.4%), with six healthcare AI unicorns.
New York City’s 45+ active health tech funds drive larger rounds at every stage, seed through Series B, averaging nearly 30% higher than San Francisco’s digital health funding.
New York healthcare innovation companies raised $1.9 billion across 36 deals in Q3 2026, up 58% from Q2 and 36% year over year. Through the first three quarters, New York healthcare companies raised $4.7 billion across 112 deals.
Late-stage rounds captured 86% of Q3 funding, and the five largest deals accounted for 56% of all capital raised.
Half of Q3 2026’s 10 largest rounds went to AI-powered companies. Some of the major Q3 New York health funding rounds included EliseAI ($350M), Precision ($250M), Fortell ($163M), Rightway ($155M), and Forus ($150M).
Real estate & infrastructure
Manhattan office leasing hit 22.8M SF in H1 2026, the strongest first half since 2002, up 10.5% year over year.
Manhattan’s tech sector recorded 6.54M SF of leasing activity in 2025, a 71.4% increase over 2024.
The tech sector accounted for 22.7% of all Manhattan leasing activity in Q1 2026.
AI companies leased 1M SF of Manhattan office space in Q1 2026 alone, more than they leased in all of 2025.
AI tenants accounted for more than one-third of tech real estate demand in early 2026.
Tech-sector asking rents hit a record $90.31/SF in 2025, up 6.5%, topping the all-sector Manhattan average ($85.27/SF) for the first time since 2020.
Tech tenants secured record concessions in 2025, with weighted average rental abatement reaching 13.3 months and tenant improvement allowances hitting $131.70/SF.
Of the 50 most active tech tenants in the NYC market, 41% are currently expanding in NYC.
NYC is home to 600+ coworking spaces, more than any other city in the nation.
Major 2026 leases:
Anthropic’s 466,000 SF full-building lease at 330 Hudson Street
Harvey’s expansion to 185,326 SF at One Madison Avenue
Clay’s 163,095 SF at 11 Madison Avenue
OpenAI’s 90,000 SF at SoHo’s Puck Building
Ramp’s 175,000 SF expansion in the Flatiron building at 28-50 W 23rd Street
Brex’s 94,000 SF lease at 200 Varick Street in SoHo
Real estate & infrastructure
Manhattan office leasing hit 22.8M SF in H1 2026, the strongest first half since 2002, up 10.5% year over year.
Manhattan’s tech sector recorded 6.54M SF of leasing activity in 2025, a 71.4% increase over 2024.
The tech sector accounted for 22.7% of all Manhattan leasing activity in Q1 2026.
AI companies leased 1M SF of Manhattan office space in Q1 2026 alone, more than they leased in all of 2025.
AI tenants accounted for more than one-third of tech real estate demand in early 2026.
Tech-sector asking rents hit a record $90.31/SF in 2025, up 6.5%, topping the all-sector Manhattan average ($85.27/SF) for the first time since 2020.
Tech tenants secured record concessions in 2025, with weighted average rental abatement reaching 13.3 months and tenant improvement allowances hitting $131.70/SF.
Of the 50 most active tech tenants in the NYC market, 41% are currently expanding in NYC.
NYC is home to 600+ coworking spaces, more than any other city in the nation.
Major 2026 leases:
Anthropic’s 466,000 SF full-building lease at 330 Hudson Street
Harvey’s expansion to 185,326 SF at One Madison Avenue
Clay’s 163,095 SF at 11 Madison Avenue
OpenAI’s 90,000 SF at SoHo’s Puck Building
Ramp’s 175,000 SF expansion in the Flatiron building at 28-50 W 23rd Street
Brex’s 94,000 SF lease at 200 Varick Street in SoHo