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Check out DC’s new free tech conference
DC Tech Week is a mostly free series of events across the city, Maryland and Virginia. It’s put on by Nafisa Rawji and fellow cofounders of Techsgiving, an annual summit and group connecting underrepresented communities to careers in tech.
The schedule features plenty of networking opportunities, including an LGBTQ+-focused happy hour at Shakers and a mixer for government tech workers. Salesforce is hosting a panel about ethical AI use, and NASA is screening a movie all about Black women astronauts at the Kennedy Center.
“I think of it as an open-source conference, in a way, because it’s still knowledge sharing, it’s still networking,” Rawji told me. “It’s just over a larger window of time. And it’s free.”
➡️ Learn more about DC Tech Week and what’s planned
DOD contractor acquires local firm for $4B
AeroVironment announced its purchase of fellow Arlington-based company BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction. AeroVironment specializes in robotics and software analytics for the Department of Defense and other government agencies, and BlueHalo primarily works in space technology, developing drones and laser weapon systems.
That wasn’t the only major deal in the past few months. Soil data startup EarthOptics landed a $24 million investment, while DC landed federal funds to expand and remodel Union Station.
➡️ Check out more recent Money Moves in the DMV
News Incubator: What else to know
• DC won $3.8 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to advance digital equity in the city. Funds will be used to provide devices and IT support, and develop digital literacy training programs. [Mayor Muriel Bowser]
• The district’s attorney general is suing Amazon on behalf of residents, alleging the company has excluded two ZIP codes east of the river from its Prime delivery while charging the full subscription price. [Attorney General Schwalb]
• The Economic Development Administration is optimistic the Tech Hubs program can continue under Trump. [Technical.ly]
• Luigi Mangione, who authorities arrested today in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO last week, has a tech background including time with a Baltimore-area game development company. [Technical.ly]
• At least one DC founder appeared on the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 lists. Hazel Horvath, founder of the software platform Ecolytics helping business leaders develop data-driven sustainability programs, was on the Social Impact list. [Forbes]
• More than 85% of the federal workforce works outside the DMV. [Washington Post]
• Nonprofit Stillborn And Infant Loss Support in Laurel won the Prince George’s County Small Business Accelerator Program. The hybrid eight-week program ended in a pitch competition, where Sadija A. Smiley won $5,000. [M&T Bank]
• Arlington’s Ask Sage, a startup making AI-powered tools for users in the government and private sector, raised $17 million. [Washington Business Journal]
• Non-residential real estate firm and small-scale manufacturing consultant Recast City honored 10 women for their work in local economic development across the country. DC’s Alex Fraioli, who manages the District of Columbia Makers’ Guild, made the list. [Recast City]
• The undergrad-run Georgetown Ventures hosted a demo day last week, including presentations from local startups The Pitch Place and Orderly. [Georgetown Ventures]
Introducing the Technical.ly Map of Innovation Ecosystems
Just about every region in the United States has somebody with a plan for entrepreneurs and tech workers. Where are they, and how do they compare? That’s where our new tool — we’ve been calling it the iMap — comes in handy.
The resource offers a snapshot of each region, and features the debut of the Technical.ly Innovation Index, which uses several weights to better understand regional strengths. In this inaugural rendition, we use five inputs to assess regions: research and development spending; total regional startup value; ease of doing business rankings; economic mobility and cost of living. How does it all shake out?
➡️ Check out the index and explore the map
🗓️ On the Calendar
• Partner Event: Meet with fellow technologists and learn about new local innovations at DC Tech Week from Dec. 4 to 13. There will be happy hours, panels, workshops and a film screening. [Details here]
• Discover highlights and trends from 2024 — and learn about what this year’s news could mean for 2025 — at a Technical.ly webinar on Dec. 11. [Details here]
• Early-stage startups: Get connected to possible funders at a My NEXT Raise event on Dec. 12. [Details here]
• Women and Gender eXpansive Coders DC is hosting a holiday party with DC Women in Agile on Dec. 18. [Details here]
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