Governor Hochul Announces AI Platform Clay to Expand New York City Headquarters, Creating Nearly 500 High-Paying Jobs

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Clay, a New York City-founded artificial intelligence go-to-market platform, will significantly expand its headquarters in Manhattan, leasing 163,095 square feet of office space at 11 Madison Avenue in the Flatiron District. To support the project, Empire State Development (ESD) is offering Clay up to $9,960,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits in exchange for the company's commitment to create 498 new full-time jobs over five years and invest $50 million in research and development activity in New York State.

"The global race for artificial intelligence leadership is happening right now - and New York is winning," Governor Hochul said. "Clay's decision to expand here reinforces that companies at the forefront of AI are choosing New York for our talent, our infrastructure, and our commitment to innovation-driven growth."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Clay's expansion is a strong signal that New York continues to be a destination where innovative companies can start, scale, and succeed. By deepening its presence in New York City, Clay is creating high-quality jobs and advancing cutting-edge work in artificial intelligence. Empire State Development is proud to support projects like this that strengthen our innovation ecosystem and reinforce New York's position as a global leader in emerging technologies."

Clay CEO & Co-Founder Kareem Amin said, "Clay has been deeply shaped by its homes in New York. From our first loft office in Williamsburg to our new office in 11 Madison. We've thrived off of the creativity, diversity and the energy in the city. Our culture has been inspired not just by the great technologists building here but by everything from clowning at House of Yes, to deep listening music sessions at Nowadays. Our team is growing quickly, we've crossed $100M in ARR and we're excited to keep investing in the local community and create opportunities for people building in AI and creating various forms for art"

Founded in New York City in 2017, Clay helps companies find and win customers by giving sales, marketing, and revenue teams access to more than 100 data sources and AI-powered tools to identify leads and personalize outreach at scale. The company has grown to serve more than 10,000 customers - including OpenAI, Anthropic and Canva - and reached a $5 billion valuation following a $100 million funding round in 2025. Clay currently employs 250 people in New York City, with additional offices in San Francisco and London.

As part of its expansion, Clay will lease and fit out 163,095 square feet of office space at 11 Madison Avenue, with construction expected to be completed by February 2027. The company will invest approximately $30 million in the build-out, covering construction, renovation, and related equipment and furnishings. Over the following five years, Clay will create 498 new well-paying full-time jobs spanning software and AI engineering, sales, product, and corporate functions. Clay has also committed to $50 million in research and development activity in New York State, supporting continued innovation in artificial intelligence, data integration, and next-generation go-to-market tools.

Clay's expansion builds on a growing list of companies that have chosen to relocate or grow in New York City under Governor Hochul's leadership, including PayPal, Bilt, Coinbase, ElevenLabs, Figma, Kraken, Radical AI and Roc360. Together, these announcements represent more than 2,500 new jobs and more than $180 million in private investment, reinforcing New York City's position as a global hub for technology, finance, and digital commerce.

Newmark Chief Executive Officer Barry Gosin said, "New York City is the epicenter for artificial intelligence, driven by its unique concentration of talent, capital, and industry. For gateway markets, being tech forward and having strong domain expertise is the mainstay of success in any industry. New York City's workforce is unmatched in both its depth and diversity and will continue to attract gifted, inquisitive, and ambitious people eager to pursue careers and launch new ventures in fields ranging from financial markets and hedge funds to healthcare, life sciences, cryptocurrency, technology, and now artificial intelligence."

Governor Hochul's Innovation Agenda

Governor Hochul's commitment to advancing New York's leadership in artificial intelligence builds on her broader agenda to expand cutting-edge technology development in the Empire State. Governor Hochul launched the historic Empire AI initiative, a $500 million partnership of New York's leading public and private universities who have come together to establish a state-of-the-art AI computing center at SUNY's University at Buffalo. Empire AI is already facilitating statewide innovation, research, and development of AI technologies.

In 2025 the Governor announced a series of initiatives to ensure equitable growth of the AI industry in New York, including training students for AI-enabled jobs, funding New York-based AI startups, supporting small businesses with AI adoption, training the state workforce and tracking the potential impact of new technologies on the broader workforce. These programs followed recommendations released by the Governor's Emerging Technology Advisory Board, co-chaired by IBM CEO Arvind Krishna and Girls Who Code CEO Dr. Tarika Barrett.

At the Governor's direction, ITS wrote and issued the first-ever statewide policy on the Acceptable Use of AI Technologies, which now serves as a roadmap for state agencies to adopt AI thoughtfully, safely and responsibly, while optimizing efficiencies and delivering quicker and better results for their constituents.

Most recently, Governor Hochul launched the FutureWorks Commission to advise on policy and private sector interventions which protect the economic security of workers while harnessing the economic benefits of AI. The Commission will work to identify real-time data strategies for monitoring AI's impact, and identify policy and private sector interventions to ensure New York's workers, families and small businesses, not just large corporations, stand to gain from the potential benefits of AI.

Contact the Governor's Press Office