NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made no secret of going after a digital grail: rivaling Silicon Valley as a high-tech hub.

Bloomberg predicted last year that the city could someday surpass the California region as a tech startup capital. He sounded the theme again at an event this week.

For now, New York can point to a series of promising signs.

Tech titans including Google and Facebook have ramped up their New York presences. Big-name newcomers including Foursquare and Tumblr have headquarters in the city. Students are set to start in January at an elite technology graduate school the city attracted.

Entrepreneurs say New York also faces challenges, including spotty broadband access in some areas and a limited tech talent base. The city is working to address the concerns.