DC daily roundup: Tech invests in DC lobbying and offices; from intern to robotics director; DOJ sues Ticketmaster, Live Nation

Tech companies spend millions on lobbying

A new report from the global real estate services company JLL found that tech firms spent more than $340 million on lobbying. They’re not just spending money on political advocacy, though: These companies are also increasingly opening offices in DC.

The development of the tech market stood out to Tammy Shoham, the author of the report and JLL’s director of research in DC. But the city has been a vibrant tech ecosystem for a long time.

“What we see going forward is this tech coming to DC to lobby, and staying to grow,” Shoham told me.

➡️ Get the details on the new report in my latest article here.

A decade-long robotics career journey

Andrew Capodieci started as an intern at the Pennsylvania-based off-road robotics company Neya Systems. 10 years later, he’s still at that same company. This has been the absolute right choice for him, he told Technical.ly

“It was everything I wanted since I was a kid,” he said.

Capodieci caught up with Technical.ly editor Katie Malone to talk about his role at Neya Systems, and his advice to aspiring technologists.

➡️ Learn more about Capodieci’s career journey here. 

News Incubator: What else to know today

• A Rockville tech consulting and research company acquired a Reston IT firm and is expected to have a $100 million revenue boost as a result. [Washington Biz Journal]

• With federal legislation lacking, the White House is calling on the private sector to voluntarily work on curbing the growing amount of abusive sexual images created using generative AI. [Associated Press]

• The Department of Justice is suing Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation, alleging a monopoly in the ticketing industry. [Wired]

• REQ, a marketing and communications agency based in DC that works with several tech companies, appointed a new president. [REQ]

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