Five New York Tech Companies to Watch (April 2018)
April in New York is a month of transformation, with temperatures changing rapidly, sidewalks littered with tables again, and spring cleaning our apartments. So for this month’s companies to watch, we’re featuring five startups that have focused their energies on urban transformation. These five companies are helping consumers, companies, and governments rethink our spaces and how to best use them.
Fentrend
What does your company do?
Fentrend Co-Founder and CEO Andy Huh: Fentrend is a window and door marketplace with a mission to lower greenhouse gas emissions one building at a time. We help architects and builders navigate the opaque process of identifying the most energy efficient windows and doors for less money.
How does New York's built environment inspire your company's work?
AH: Most buildings that shape our neighborhoods, while beautiful, are unfortunately environmental disasters. Buildings alone in New York City are responsible for nearly 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce heating and cooling loads by up to 30 percent by simply choosing better windows and doors, and our technology can help with this.
What is your favorite building in New York?
AH: The Dakota, an apartment building on 72nd Street and Central Park West. I love everything about it — the historical facade details, the fact that it’s supposedly haunted, and overall mystique of the building.
Tell us about growing up in New York.
AH: I was born and raised in Astoria, Queens. My parents immigrated from Korea and thought it would be a good idea to assimilate into other cultures. Our neighborhood was predominantly Greek and as a result, I speak more Greek than I do Korean. My mom still regrets this decision.
What’s the best way to spend a spring day in NYC?
AH: Coney Island never fails.
How do you get to your office?
AH: I reverse commute from Manhattan to Brooklyn every day. In the winter, I take the subway. In the summer, I take Via to avoid subway sweat.
What’s your favorite pizza slice?
AH:: Nothing is better than a plain New York slice. But when I hang with my wannabe foodie friends, I trek to Roberta's in Bushwick.
What’s the best place in New York for a coffee or lunch meeting?
AH: The best place for coffee is without a doubt the Ad Hoc Collective, a quaint and charming spot at the intersection of Gay and Christopher St. It has a strong community vibe, and great coffee and food.
Jabbrrbox
What does your company do?
Jabbrrbox Co-Founder and CEO Brian Hackathorn: Jabbrrbox provides privacy and wellness to people both in private offices and public locations via our technology-enabled “space-as-a-service” products.
What drew you to install the first Jabbrrbox at LaGuardia Airport?
BH: We were introduced to LaGuardia Gateway Partners, which is building the new state-of-the-art Central Terminal, as they were searching for new and innovative passenger amenities to help ease pain during construction. LaGuardia also happens to be our hometown airport.
How does New York's built environment inspire your company's work?
BH: The need for a quiet, productive space to work on the go, and the inability to find such a place in NYC is how the idea of Jabbrrbox came about. In today's world, it is more true than ever that technology allows us to work when, where and how we want, but the where part was always a challenge. Until now that is.
What’s the best way to spend a spring day in NYC?
BH: Sitting on the balcony with my wife and daughter enjoying a spread of food cooked on the grill and a chilled bottle of wine.
Faux pas or necessity: How do you feel about people talking on the phone in a taxi or a ride-share?
BH: Necessity, although I generally default to text or email when riding in a car. I'm not big on sharing my conversations!
What’s your favorite pizza?
BH: Prosciutto and arugula by the pie from Maiella in Long Island City.
What’s your favorite bagel?
BH: I'd rather have a peanut butter & blackberry jam doughnut from Doughnut Plant.
What’s the best place in New York for a coffee or lunch meeting?
BH: My go-to for lunch meetings is Dons Bogam (Korean BBQ) followed by coffee from Grace Street Cafe.
Pilot
What does your company do?
Pilot Founder and CEO Joseph Fasone: Pilot is a modern connectivity company providing network and internet services. We combine advanced fiber-optic technology with custom-built software and a customer experience that raises the bar for an outdated industry.
What makes New York a great city for a startup internet service provider?
JF: Building an ISP from the ground up is complicated no matter where you are. Having said that, Manhattan is unique because of its vast existing manhole and conduit infrastructure to build from. Even though the cities we recently expanded to each presented new challenges, we learned a lot by starting out in NYC.
How does New York's built environment inspire your company's work?
JF: We're fortunate to not only have access to the city’s advanced infrastructure right in our own backyard but also a wealth of knowledge and talent in the growing tech ecosystem.
What are you most looking forward to about summer in New York?
JF: I’m excited to go kayaking on the Hudson River when the weather warms up.
What is the best New York waterfront?
JF: The view from the Frying Pan.
Would you rather have slow internet or a slow subway commute?
JF: I’ll take a slow subway commute over a slow internet connection any day.
What’s your favorite pizza slice?
JF: My favorite is the eggplant slice from Rosa's in Queens. My number two is the Spicy Square from Prince Street Pizza.
Storefront
What does your company do?
Storefront Chief Creative Officer Joy Fan: Storefront is the world’s largest marketplace for short-term retail spaces. We help brands, e-commerce businesses, and artists create pop-up stores and events around the world.
How does New York's built environment inspire your company's work?
JF: New York is the retail and real estate epicenter. Brands come here to launch their products and pop-up stores. We get to be at the center of all the buzz and where ideas, innovation and creativity come to life.
What is New York's greatest urban advantage?
JF: New York is made up of the best neighborhoods in the world, representing all cultures, perspectives, and communities.
What’s the best way to spend a spring day in NYC?
JF: Spring is the best transitional period where you see pop-up stores for both sample sales and product launches. You can spend all day walking from pop-up store to pop-up store and the next weekend you’ll notice different storefronts opening.
Where would you host your next pop-up party?
JF: Storefront HQ. We actually cowork out of an awesome building that has a great rooftop space. We do workouts and yoga there on Mondays and on weekends we host community events.
What's the best popup you've seen in New York?
JF: I loved Brit + Co’s pop-up store in Soho because I got to meet the iconic Iris Apfel in real life and she was a hoot. She’s a true New York inspiration.
What brought you to New York?
JF: The passion for fashion, tech, and retail. This is my second time living here in New York, and it always feels like home.
What’s your favorite pizza slice?
JF: Rubirosa’s pies are amazing for a good sit down, but sometimes a late night run to Two Boots is necessary.
What’s your favorite bagel?
JF: The gluten-free everything bagel from Sadelle’s is the way to go. No lines and you can walk the galleries for some inspiration with bagel in hand.
What’s the best place in New York for a coffee or lunch meeting?
JF: Nickel and Diner. It’s a real Mad Men moment in the heart of Soho. Get coffee from Alex, who taught me everything I know about oat milk.
UrbanLogiq
What does your company do?
UrbanLogiq Co-Founder and CEO Mark Masongsong: UrbanLogiq works to consolidate government data that is currently fragmented and helps governments make faster, cheaper, and more accurate decisions.
What brought you to New York?
MM: As we expanded from Canada into the United States, it was clear that New York City was building an ecosystem for urban tech that made it the ideal center for our future growth. The future of smart cities is being pioneered here so it’s where we need to be to remain at the forefront of urban intelligence.
How does New York's built environment inspire your company's work?
MM: Here in New York you have a blend of modern, historic, industrial, financial, tech, retail and commercial spaces throughout multiple boroughs that all have their own distinct identities. This creates a rich social and physical infrastructure that offers so much to learn from.
What are you most looking forward to about summer in New York?
MM: Getting a taste of all the different neighborhoods as people come out to parks for picnics and community events.
What’s your favorite bagel?
MM: Smith Street Bagels has become our go-to place.
How has New York served as an ideal test bed for city data collection?
MM: Every major company and emerging form of technology, from telematics to mobile analytics and more, exists here and in scale, allowing us to see the strengths and weaknesses.
What is New York's greatest urban advantage?
MM: New York City is unmatched in the depth and diversity of its population, economy, and community networks. The future of the world is global, multicultural, knowledge driven, and connected, and New York City represents all of that.