One of New York’s most prominent “big data”-focused investors has joined FirstMark Capital as a managing director.

Matt Turck is a force in the Big Apple’s burgeoning tech scene. He is the principal organizer of New York’s “big data” meetup group and is one of the most advocates for the city’s potential as a hub for technology startups.

Turck plans to continue investing in early-stage analytics and big data startups in his new gig, a trend that he believes is set to continue for at least a decade.

“I’m interested in big data applications and companies that are trying to disrupt industries or invent new industries using the big data stack,” he said in an interview with VentureBeat. “New York is well positioned from that perspective; we have the right type of talent here,” he continued.

Turck told me he is impressed by FirstMark’s commitment to funding early-stage business to business (B2B) startups. The small firm isn’t the only one that is dedicated to the space — Emergence Capital has been around for years, and newcomers include Costanoa VC and Data Collective – but it’s one of the few with a headquarters in New York.

Prior to joining First Mark, one of New York’s rising firms, Turck was an investor at Bloomberg Capital and a founder of TripleHop (which Oracle acquired for an undisclosed sum in 2005). He has invested in hot local startups like ThinkNear, which Telenav bought for $22.5 million, making it the first TechStars New York acquisition.

First Mark has invested in ed-tech startups like Lumosity and Knewton as well as SecondMarket and NewsCred.

Tech incubator and seed fund 500 Startups is building its presence in the Big Apple with a new coworking space for entrepreneurs and  portfolio companies.

The news was announced today on Twitter by Shai Goldman, a New York-based venture partner at 500 Startups. An application form is already available for entrepreneurs, although the desks are not available until next month. To apply, you’ll need to be bootstrapped, seed or angel funded, or have raised a first round of institutional funding.

According to 500 Startups, spots are reserved for portfolio companies, but the office also has space for startups in the community. This coworking space is in the Flatiron district, where many startups and tech companies are settling. As TheNextWeb’s Harrison Weber points out, it’s a stone’s throw from coworking space and startup hub, General Assembly.

Interested in renting out a desk? It will set you back $500 per person for the month, and the place has room for a total of 40 people. Rent is reasonable, considering that it’s in the heart of Manhattan, but the real benefit is access to a network of fellow entrepreneurs and potential advisers. 500 Startups was launched in 2010 by prolific and outspoken investor Dave McClure (pictured above).

To check out the space, watch the video below.

World leaders gathered in Manhattan today for the United Nations General Assembly. As part of his trip, British Prime Minister David Cameron made a surprise visit to another kind of General Assembly, this one with a “.ly” in its domain name.

The young founders at the New York headquarters of General Assembly, a global network of technology entrepreneurs, were blown away when Cameron arrived and peppered them with questions about their startups.

Seth Bannon, a graduate of tech accelerator Y Combinator told me he spoke at length with the British Prime Minister. ”He was keen to talk about the success of New York’s tech ecosystem and to glean lessons he could apply over the pond,” said Bannon, founder of a startup called Amicus.

“He was particularly interested in the role institutions like General Assembly can play in catalyzing such success,” Bannon said. London’s own startup scene is booming, particularly in a hipster area in the city’s East End known as “Silicon Roundabout.”

As much as he wanted to hear about our individual companies, he was even more interested to learn about the community at General Assembly that supports us,” said Keya Dannenbaum, who had a few minutes of the British politician’s time to pitch her startup, ElectNext.

Cameron’s visit further underscored New York’s role as a technology hub. In recent years, the city has earned the nickname “Silicon Alley.”

Jonathan Hefter, founder and chief executive of Neverware, also had the opportunity to present the world leader with his elevator pitch. ”It was a pleasure being able to pitch the Prime Minister of England,” said Hefter. “He was very interested in hearing about our companies and seeing how we work.”

Top image courtesy of General Assembly