New York had its share of startup investors and venture-backed companies, but it wasn't a hotbed of tech activity. After four years at the company, Wang left but chose to stay in New York to launch Bearworks, providing software to sales reps. In 2014, prior to the run of New York City IPOs, California was the leader, followed by Massachusetts and then New York. During the record fundraising year of 2021, New York startups received almost $50 billion across 1,935 companies. Northern California has long been the heartbeat of the tech industry, but Murat Bicer remembers what it was like for New York startups before the rush.

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