Companies to Watch: GovTech

The private sector collaborating with the public sector (and vice versa) is not a new concept, but it has been gaining traction in the last few years. From helping constituents understand legislative issues to assisting government application processes, GovTech companies are continuing to innovate across a spectrum of services.

Globally:

The GovTech sector saw an annual growth rate of 8.41%,
The workforce comprises close to half a million employees, (an increase of 33,000+ from the year prior), and
The global GovTech market is projected to double from $606 billion in 2024 to $1.42 trillion by 2034.

Zooming in, in the U.S., there are more than 1,700 GovTech companies, and U.S. GovTech companies raised $400 million in 2024 — up from $261 million in 2023.

Zooming further in, New York City is no stranger to GovTech companies. There are 60 GovTech companies in Gotham, and the GovTech sector in NYC has seen more than $942 million in total funding in the last 10 years.

Here at Tech:NYC, we’ve long supported public-private partnerships and initiatives. In big news over the past year, Tech:NYC championed the creation of Empire AI, a partnership of seven of New York’s leading public and private universities coming together to establish a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center, housed at SUNY’s University at Buffalo. In recent member news, GovTech company Zencity acquired UK-based community engagement platform Commonplace.

To kick off 2025, we caught up with six founders from four companies who are innovating in the GovTech space to improve civic engagement and government efficiency and effectiveness through public-private partnerships.

For this edition of our Companies to Watch series, meet Closure Intelligence, Holly, Polimorphic, and 1000 MORE.

Closure Intelligence

“While we’ve both spent extensive time in the broader Bay Area and Tel-Aviv — and fully love what both have to offer — we believe New York is among the most underrated homes of engineering talent in America.”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
The police are drowning in data. As our digital footprints expand, detectives must increasingly become “big data analysts” to filter the noise and get to the truth.

We’ve seen firsthand the heroic efforts made by investigators to close cases — they are the unsung heroes of public safety. But, they need better software to keep pace with crime. Evidence overload has become commonplace, especially as extensively-trained detectives change departments or retire from public service, taking their expertise with them.

Closure uses thoughtfully applied AI to fight back. Police, prosecutors, and defense attorneys upload lawfully obtained evidence into an easy-to-use platform. Rather than asking public safety officials to blindly trust AI, Closure produces reliable, verifiable answers to plain-English questions, such as “identify possible locations where the murder weapon might be hidden and explain your reasoning” — improving the accuracy, fairness, and speed of justice.

A question we like to ask every founder – why New York?
It’s no mistake that we met in New York years ago. We were both drawn to vibrant, fast-paced culture — not to mention the parks, public transit, and pizza.

But what drove us to build Closure in New York was the community. While we’ve both spent extensive time in the broader Bay Area and Tel-Aviv — and fully love what both have to offer — we believe New York is among the most underrated homes of engineering talent in America.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming government efficiency in the U.S.?
Government can (and should) become more efficient, and hopefully with the right mix of driven public leaders and determined vendors, it will. But we believe the more important qualitative metric of government success is actually effectiveness.

Efficiency prioritizes ruthless ROI on money in; whereas effectiveness prioritizes the quality of outcomes. An analogy for folks in tech is CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) vs. NPS (Net Promoter Score) — we want our government to have the highest NPS score possible.

In the context of criminal justice, this isn’t just semantics, it’s everything: Effective public safety prosecutes and deters crimes through thorough, honest investigations. But what is the appropriate ROI tradeoff when it comes to false positives, wrongful convictions, or justice deferred? Efficiency without effectiveness is a nice-to-have, and we deserve an effective justice system and government overall.

How does Closure help law enforcement manage large data sets for investigations and prosecutions?
Both Gilad and I (Aaron) come from the world of big data. At Palantir, I witnessed and played a part in helping the world’s most important organizations integrate, analyze, and protect their data in the pursuit of real-world value. Gilad has seen this from multiple angles as well, in the Israeli Defense Forces, at Microsoft managing massive scale data applications, and at leading infrastructure startups.

What we learned is that the approach to dealing with data must be deeply tied to the intended use cases for that data. For example, traditional approaches to generative artificial intelligence deprioritize the verifiability and explainability of outputs, because most LLMs were not designed to be citation tools. In a criminal prosecution, however, investigators must be able to trace back from model outputs to the raw evidence, to verify mistakes weren’t made.

These learnings informed how we built Closure. Closure enables investigators to quickly answer questions about their cases, while tracing the “data lineage” of the outputs back to the facts of their specific case.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about GovTech?
Gilad’s interest in applying technology for government (and in particular public safety) was spurred by his service in the Israeli Defense Forces, where he saw how the software backing mission-critical systems such as Iron Dome was of life-or-death importance.

My (Aaron) interest in government comes from my family, which always lionized those who served. Working with the federal government at Stanford and Palantir, I came to appreciate how much careful attention must go into designing software to avoid violating our values, e.g., avoiding the false tradeoff between improving security and protecting civil liberties as Alex Karp says.

But it was only when we started riding along with police officers in California and New York that we began to appreciate the clear and present opportunity for meaningful, cost-effective impact in local government. We’ve been continuously inspired by the dedication of local public servants who dedicate their careers to making government work; Closure is our attempt to supercharge their efforts.

What was the inspiration behind the name Closure?
We chose the name Closure because we’re seeking three types of Closure — for investigators, who want to accurately close cases; for suspects, who deserve a speedy closure to their cases, guilty or otherwise; and for victims and their families, who deserve to know that our government has done everything it can to pursue justice on their behalf.

As founders, what are your self-care routines to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
Self-care has been deprioritized in this sprint, but it is definitely on the backlog!!

We are energized by seeing our product work in the real world. And we are particularly grateful to our family, friends, partners, and coworkers who have sacrificed to let us pursue this dream of building for government.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?

Speaking of cost-efficiency, we think $0.99 pizza is deeply underrated.

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?

Gilad likes St. George (West Village), and I’m (Aaron) partial to Sleeping Cat bakery (Chelsea).

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?

We prefer to go above the city. Gilad’s a helicopter pilot, and though it’s not exactly quiet, flying across the skyline puts things in perspective.

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?

Get out of New York City. Get out of your office. Go spend time with your customers!!!

We’ve spent months on-site with our design partners to actually understand their problems and refine our approach. You have to set aside the comforts of home and put yourself in the room with users to earn the opportunity to build something meaningful for government.

Holly

“The City’s energy and civic tech talent pool align with our mission of transforming government work and attracting passionate individuals to public service.”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
Holly is an AI-powered platform that's modernizing government hiring processes. We're tackling a critical challenge: there are currently nearly 1 million vacant government jobs, with hiring cycles averaging 135 days — over four times longer than the private sector. Our platform streamlines job design, provides real-time salary benchmarking, and uses AI to transform outdated processes, helping government HR teams focus on people rather than paperwork. The goal is simple but ambitious: to bring millions of Americans into impactful public service careers through software that treats people with the care they deserve.

A question we like to ask every founder – why New York?
We love New York! Cherie lived in Brooklyn before graduate school, and Brendan has lots of family here. It’s also the center of gravity for our networks — our lead investor J2 Ventures and many of the mission-driven founders we know and admire live here. The City’s energy and civic tech talent pool align with our mission of transforming government work and attracting passionate individuals to public service.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming government efficiency in the U.S.?
Silicon Valley has historically overlooked government as a sector for innovation, but we're seeing a dramatic shift in this mindset — government software just topped the list of Y Combinator’s “Request for Startups.” And of course, government efficiency is now an everyday conversation across the country.

This newfound attention is exciting, but it needs to be paired with the right approach, as government workers are understandably concerned about outsiders coming in with limited understanding of the context they operate within. We believe tech should move thoughtfully in this space, seeking to understand government’s unique needs and thinking about how AI can benefit both government workers and the communities they serve.

How does Holly improve government job descriptions and compensation decisions and break down hiring barriers?
Our platform uses AI to address critical bottlenecks in government hiring. First, we transform outdated position descriptions into modern jobs in minutes - work that cities tell us can set hiring back for months. We have built a database of over 45,000 job templates that agencies can access and customize to accelerate their learnings. For compensation decisions, we provide real-time salary benchmarking data that helps HR teams make informed decisions for budgeting and union negotiations. This data-driven approach helps governments stay competitive in today's job market while ensuring internal equity.

While accelerating processes is important, we’ve seen that local govs also expect superior accuracy and consistency. Our AI tools serve as a trusted partner in producing validated, compliant, and accessible positions using evidence to ensure role requirements and hiring processes are designed with social equity and accessibility in mind.

Why is Holly’s work important for the future of public service?
The stakes couldn't be higher. Nearly 1 million vacant government jobs and 135-day hiring cycles are driving a crisis in public service staffing, affecting everything from national security to essential services. $86 billion spent annually on overtime, largely due to understaffing, could be redirected to improve communities.

But this isn't just about filling vacancies — it's about transforming how we think about public service careers. We want to set a new standard where job-seekers don't get ghosted, where talented individuals see government as an exciting career path, and where HR teams can focus on what matters most: finding and nurturing great public servants. We believe that by modernizing these fundamental processes, we can help build a future where government service is accessible, efficient, and attractive to the next generation of public servants.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about GovTech?
BH: My passion for service started in high school when I saw my hometown Mayor, Alex Morse, get elected right out of college. I worked in his office and saw how cities could make peoples lives better in such diverse ways, from helping a cafe open downtown to rebuilding parks, public housing, and trust. My passion for data science and service took me to the Baltimore Mayor’s Office, where I rode around in ambulances and helped launch public health programs. I thought about staying in gov my whole career (and would love to return!), but I came to see that the tech available to most governments made work drearier and less effective. I knew there was an opportunity to address that problem at scale by starting Holly.

CC: I've always been fascinated by the government's unique power to improve people's lives at scale. This interest led me to internships with the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Small Business Administration, and Partnership for Public Service during college. At the same time, I was drawn to the dynamism of startups and their ability to quickly bring ideas to life. My experience as an early employee at Propel, a startup helping to strengthen the social safety net, showed me firsthand how powerful the combination of these forces could be, and cemented my desire to found a mission-driven startup in this space.

What was the inspiration behind the name Holly?
We chose the name Holly because we wanted something unique yet familiar to city governments, and Holly sounds City “Hall-y” and approachable. We also wanted to pay homage to Brendan’s local gov roots — he worked for Baltimore City, and their city hall is on 100 Holliday Street.

As a founder, what’s your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?

BH: I like to go for walks during the day when I work from home, and on a good day I come back with some goodies from stoop shopping.

CC: I try to make time for either a boxing or improv class/show every week — I find that inherently social activities where you have to stay engaged and think on your feet are perfect for getting my mind off things and giving me fresh perspective.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
BH: My first slice of 99 cent pizza with oregano and red pepper changed my life.

CC: Any slice at L’Industrie with some hot honey on top.

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
BH: Aura on Prospect Place – and the rotating cast of dogs I meet there.

CC: The cafe at Public Records. I’m obsessed with the labneh toast.

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
BH: NR for the tomato cocktail and ramen.

CC: Cozy bookstores like Book Club Bar.

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
CC: Clarify your values, and cultivate relationships - both professional and personal - that line up with the kind of life and company you want to build.

BH: There are people in your tent who you don’t know about – your job is to find and activate them.

Polimorphic

“Both NYC and the GovTech industry as a whole thrive on ambition but are also competitive spaces to build a company. You have to be willing to take calculated risks — whether it’s trying a bold new strategy, pivoting your product, or reaching out to someone you think is out of reach.”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
Polimorphic is on a mission to create technology that helps governments of all sizes deliver for the people. That means making government services accessible to everyone from anywhere while making it easier for staffers to help their residents.

A question we like to ask every founder – why New York?
For Polimorphic, New York isn’t just a headquarters—it’s a hub of inspiration and impact. The City and its surrounding jurisdictions are home to a diverse range of municipalities, from large urban centers to smaller rural communities, giving us direct insight into the varied needs of local governments.

Being in New York also means we’re at the intersection of innovation and governance, surrounded by a wealth of talent, thought leaders, and organizations focused on public service. This proximity allows us to better understand the challenges local governments face and collaborate on solutions that streamline their operations and improve community outcomes.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming government efficiency in the U.S.?
The tech sector, and specifically GovTech, plays a pivotal role in transforming government efficiency by enabling innovation that addresses the unique challenges of public service. At Polimorphic, we see technology as a bridge between governments and the communities they serve, streamlining processes, improving transparency, and ensuring faster, more reliable service delivery.

For example, AI-powered solutions can simplify time-consuming administrative tasks, allowing government staff to focus on higher-impact or urgent work. Cloud platforms enhance collaboration and data access across departments, while advanced analytics provide insights for better decision-making.

The key is ensuring that technology doesn’t just replace old systems but enhances them in ways that are accessible and sustainable for local governments. By partnering with governments to understand their workflows and priorities, GovTech companies can create tools that are not only innovative but also practical and transformative. At Polimorphic, we’re proud to be part of this evolution, empowering local governments to better serve their communities.

How does Polimorphic use AI to make government more accessible and efficient?
At Polimorphic, we leverage AI to help local governments streamline operations and provide more accessible, efficient services to their residents. For instance, our AI-powered solutions automate time-intensive tasks like customer service interactions, document and payment processing, and data analysis. This not only reduces administrative burdens but also ensures faster response times for residents.

One standout example is our AI Search & Chatbot, like the one we host for the City of Pacifica, CA, which won a prestigious Innovation Award from the Municipal Information Systems Association of California. Our AI Chatbots allow residents to get immediate answers to common questions, access critical information 24/7, and even complete tasks like submitting forms—all without needing to visit a government office.

AI also helps governments analyze large datasets to identify trends, allocate resources more effectively, and make data-driven decisions that benefit their communities. At Polimorphic, our focus is on designing AI tools that are intuitive, scalable, and tailored to the specific needs of local governments, ensuring that technology becomes an enabler, not a barrier, to public service.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about GovTech?
My passion for GovTech has roots in my family's legacy of public service. Growing up, I witnessed the dedication of my grandparents, who spent their careers in the public sector, working tirelessly to improve their communities. Through their experiences, I gained a deep appreciation for the vital role local governments play in people's daily lives—and the challenges they face in delivering essential services efficiently.

My interest in GovTech was sparked by the realization that many of these challenges could be addressed through thoughtful application of technology, specifically AI. I saw an opportunity to combine my background in technology with my family's commitment to public service, creating tools that empower governments to provide high-quality resident services.

This personal connection drives my belief that technology isn’t just about innovation—it’s about amplifying the impact of dedicated public servants and making government more accessible and effective for everyone.

What was the inspiration behind the name Polimorphic?
It’s actually pretty simple when we break it down. Polis = City, Morphic = Reshape. It’s all about how we can reshape or transform services to improve the lives of residents.

As a founder, what is your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
Basketball has always been a big part of my life, and it remains a key part of my self-care routine as a founder. Playing a game or even just shooting hoops is a way for me to clear my mind and recharge. It helps me disconnect from the day-to-day demands of building a company while also reinforcing valuable lessons like teamwork, strategy, and resilience. We have a handful of players on our team, too, which makes it a great way to connect with colleagues outside of work.

I also make it a point to carve out time for family and prioritize mindfulness. Balancing work with moments of play and reflection keeps me grounded and energized.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
I live near Dumbo so it has to be Juliana’s.

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
I’m actually not a big coffee drinker (even though I love the taste), but Hi-Collar does have a very cool siphon coffee.

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
Prospect Park is a favorite on weekends.

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received about building a startup in New York City is to embrace risk and treat failure as part of the journey. Both NYC and the GovTech industry as a whole thrive on ambition but are also competitive spaces to build a company. You have to be willing to take calculated risks — whether it’s trying a bold new strategy, pivoting your product, or reaching out to someone you think is out of reach.

At Polimorphic, we’ve had our share of challenges and missteps, but each one has taught us invaluable lessons about our market, our team, and our mission. The key is to view failure not as an endpoint but as a stepping stone to growth. The fast-paced, high-stakes environment pushes you to adapt quickly and find creative solutions, which is why taking risks—and learning from them—is essential here.

Ultimately, resilience and innovation are rewarded, and those who persevere are often the ones who succeed.

1000 MORE

“NYC is full of creative, ambitious, and hardworking people — all qualities needed to build a successful tech startup. Have fun in the building process and let the City inspire and motivate you.”

What does your company do? What problem is it working to solve?
1000 MORE is a two-sided market that acts as a civic empowerment app for Americans and a constituent services tool for members of Congress and advocacy organizations. We provide nonpartisan information about bills coming up for a vote, written so that users don’t need a law degree to understand them.1000 MORE provides one central space to communicate with elected officials and to crowdfund advocacy efforts to increase access to collective financial power behind legislation. It is building a movement of people-centered political activism in every step of the democratic process — not only during elections.

A question we like to ask every founder – why New York?
Because it’s a global market and the energy of the city is motivating. If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere — that includes a business.

How do you view the tech sector’s role in transforming civic engagement in the U.S.?
Technology is all about scaling and our democracy is big, so we need solutions that can scale, for the good of constituents, and elected officials. 1000 MORE catalyzes civic empowerment and fosters transparency by increasing access to information for constituents and elected officials. Before 1000 MORE it wasn’t easy for constituents and elected officials to stay in touch regularly. I would hear from constituents on the campaign trail, “why do we only hear from these people when it’s time to vote?” With 1000 MORE, constituents can track every bill coming across their legislators desk, and legislators can track how their constituents want them to vote.

How does 1000 MORE assist constituents, advocacy organizations, and elected officials?
Constituents see short, non-partisan summaries of every bill coming up for a vote, with options to take action, including contacting their elected officials and crowdfunding advocacy on legislation.

Elected officials can track how their constituents want them to vote on bills in real time and communicate about why they are voting the way they are.

Advocacy organizations can crowdfund to fuel their legislative advocacy efforts.

When/how did you become interested and passionate about GovTech or Civic Tech?
I’ve always been passionate about civic empowerment. My entire career has been dedicated to bridging the gap between politics, policy and people. I had worked in politics for over a decade when I had a dream one night where I saw the app vividly and I decided then I would build it. I never thought I would work in tech.

The inspiration behind the name 1000 MORE is Harriet Tubman’s famous “quote” about saving 1000 more slaves, “if only they had known they were slaves.” How does that quote relate to 1000 MORE’s core mission?
People don’t know what they don’t know, with this app 1000 MORE will. A lot of the disengagement and disenfranchisement that exists can be dismantled with trusted, good information and easing the burden of civic action.

As a founder, what is your self-care routine to recharge while still being heads down building a company?
I make time for friends, family, travel, good food and spa days.

Time for some New York-themed rapid fire questions – where’s your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
Brooklyn’s Homeslice

Where’s your favorite coffee shop in New York?
Mia’s in Brooklyn.

Do you have a favorite spot to escape the noise of the city?
Mia’s has a great patio where I like to work when the weather is nice. It’s often empty.

What’s one piece of advice – that you’ve shared or was shared with you – on building a startup in New York City?
NYC is full of creative, ambitious, and hardworking people — all qualities needed to build a successful tech startup. Have fun in the building process and let the City inspire and motivate you.

News