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- How To Find a Party - 002
How To Find a Party - 002
NY Tech Week, FKA twigs Talks AI, Kendrick vs. Drake, + More
Nia Johnson
May 06, 2024
A Partier’s Guide to NY Tech Week
The NY Tech Week calendar is out! As usual, there is a wide variety of events spanning industries and verticals, which can get very overwhelming very fast.
Don’t worry, your antisocialite and favorite party host has you covered! I parsed through everything and found the best events related to consumer tech, media, and the new internet, with a little fun thrown in for good measure 😉 .
Be sure to sign up ASAP before the spots fill up!
Monday, June 3rd
6 pm - Founder Friends in NYC
Tuesday, June 4th
10 am - ZKP.NYC NY #TechWeek
10 am - Designing for Digital Wellness
Wednesday, June 5th
12 pm - AI Design in Textiles
Thursday, June 6th
3 pm - BitcoinPalooza NYC
Friday, June 7th
Saturday, June 8th
10 am - Next-Door Friends: Brooklyn
4 pm - Web3 Protocol Mixer
Sunday, June 9th
Song of the Week
News
FKA Twigs Testifies to Congress
FKA twigs appeared before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property to discuss AI and its potential threats to artists.
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence)
8:54 PM • Apr 30, 2024
FKA twigs testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Intellectual Property Subcommittee last week about the threats exploitative AI poses to artists.
However, the singer is not necessarily an AI hater. In her written testimony, she reveals that she’s developing her own deepfake “to extend [her] reach and handle [her] online social media interactions” so she can "continue to focus on [her] art from the comfort and solace of [her] studio.
Work smarter, not harder 😉!
Other News
The TikTok ban is making things awkward at the Met Gala, as the event, set to happen tonight, is sponsored by the maligned short-form video platform.
In more TikTok-related news, the proprietary algorithm core to the parent company’s ByteDance operations adds complications to a potential sale.
UMG and TikTok appear to have resolved things. A little late considering the circumstances, though.
Trouble in the blue skies? It appears that Jack Dorsey, former Twitter CEO and BlueSky’s best-known backer, is no longer on the board of the decentralized microblogging platform.
YouTuber Marques Brownlee reviewed another AI device. Yes, it’s scathing, and yes, Tech Twitter is in their feelings about it. Will Silicon Valley ever learn that it isn’t 2013 anymore and that consumers expect more from their tech now?
Base announced its latest cohort of 2024 Base Builder Grant recipients. Winning projects include media company Dirt revamping its FAN column, a reggaeton album, and a Farcaster index.
Peleton is laying off 15% of its staff, and CEO Barry McCarthy is stepping down after two years in the role.
You can now control who quotes your posts on Threads. Bye bye, dunks 😢
Deals
Carv, a Singapore-based gaming infrastructure developer, raised a $10mm Series A round led by Tribe Capital and IOSG Ventures. Additional investors include ConsenSys, Fenbushi Capital, and OKX Ventures.
Adot, an SF-based startup building an AI-powered web3 search engine, raised $6mm in early-stage financing led by gumi Cryptos Capital. Additional investors include Hash Global, Mask Network, and SevenX Ventures.
Blade Games, a US-based developer of trustless games and infrastructure, raised a $2.4mm Seed round led by Palm Tree Crew Crypto. Additional investors include Formless Capital, IOSG Ventures, and Puzzle Ventures.
Turbo, a Brooklyn-based developer of a next-generation 2D game engine, raised a $3.5mm Seed round from undisclosed investors.
Yonton Yo Studios, a Los Angeles-based web3 game development company, raised a $15mm Series A round from undisclosed investors.
Altera, a Menlo Park-based startup that creates “digital humans,” raised $9.14mm in early-stage funding from Patron and other undisclosed investors.
GFAL, a Baracelona-based blockchain game developer, raised a $3.3mm Seed round led by Supercell and Mitch Lasky. Additional investors include Bonsai Partners and Inveready Asset Management.
Rematch, a Bourdeaux-based platform for amateur sports highlights, raised a $1.61mm Angel round from undisclosed investors.
Uncharted, a San Juan-based developer of a crypto gamification platform, raised $1.7mm Seed round led by Shima Capital. Additional investors include LiquidX.
Anichess, a Hong Kong-based blockchain game developer, raised $1.8mm in early-stage funding led by Amber Group and Sfermion. Additional investors include Fenbushi Capital and SNZ Holding.
New Internet City on May 16th
Live in NYC? Love consumer tech? Love culture? Come join us for the second installment of New Internet City! We’re bringing together technologists and creatives with the hope that both groups can work together to build out the consumer tech community in NYC! RSVP here.
PS: I’m looking for sponsors for May’s meetup. If you're interested, please email me at [email protected] for more details.
Jobs
swsh is looking for a React Native Engineer (NYC)
Cosmos is hiring for multiple roles (NYC) - mention that Nia / How to Find a Party sent you
Chainlink is looking for a Junior Ecosystem Marketing Associate (LatAm or Europe)
MindPalace is looking for a Lead Product Designer (NYC/Remote)
Party Favors
Kendrick finally responded to Drake Tuesday last week, kicking off what the internet has dubbed the Hip Hop Civil War. I personally have been very invested. For those catching up, here’s everything that's happened in the days since:
Kendrick releases “6:16 in LA” on last Friday morning
Drake responds with “Family Matters” that night
Kendrick responds with “Meet the Grahams” around midnight Saturday - 20 minutes after “Family Matters” was released
Kendrick follows up with “Not Like Us” on Saturday night
Metro Boomin’ posted the world’s first diss beat, “BBL Drizzy,” around 3 a.m. Sunday morning. He invited the public to add their own verse offering a free beat to the best performer, creating the first-ever interactive, crowdsourced rap beef.
Drake responds to Kendrick with “The Heart Part 6” on Sunday night
You can order food on ClassPass now (in NYC and Miami). Wave goodbye to all your gains.
Would putting vinyl releases ahead of streaming dates make artists more money?