It’s been anything but a secret for a few years now that Austin is an in-demand location for starting a business. Just last fall, Business.org ranked Austin the runner-up top city in the country to launch a startup — a recognition that trails an extensive collection of previously published lists putting Austin near or at the top.
As a result, companies have turned to Austin to house their headquarters or a secondary office, with new ones moving in every month. In case you missed the news, here is the latest pack to set up shop in the 5-1-2. Welcome!
Washington, D.C.-based GetUpside has opened an Austin location and hired a retail maven to lead its growth efforts. Jen Millard, a former executive at MasterCard, Truaxis, Saks and Bed Bath & Beyond, will oversee the hiring of about 20 local employees in 2019 for its operations, sales and marketing teams. Launched in 2016, GetUpside offers user cashback opportunities for purchases at gas stations nationwide, as well as at restaurants and grocery stores in select cities.
“We are thrilled that Jen will have access [to] Austin’s talented tech ecosystem to make new hires as we build out our innovative personalized commerce platform,” said GetUpside CEO and co-founder Alex Kinnier in a statement.
After getting its start in 2016 in Menlo Park, CA, Pinpoint relocated its headquarters to Austin recently, announcing a pleasant $13.5 million in funding shortly after. The startup designs analytical tools that measure the efficacy of software engineering teams to improve departmental operations and overall transparency. Co-founded by CEO Jeff Haynie and CPO Nolan Wright, Pinpoint’s team of 25 will continue growing its Austin presence.
Santa Monica-based adtech startup Vertebrae welcomed two big Austin tech hires this month to develop its new local office. The company, which creates immersive e-commerce experiences using augmented reality, brought on Garrett Eastham, formerly from data.world and Bazaarvoice as chief data officer, and Rob Weaver Dosh and Civitas Learning, as chief revenue officer.
“Austin emerged as a natural fit for our expansion because of its vibrant and thriving tech community,” said Vince Cacace, founder and CEO of Vertebrae, in a statement. “We’re also excited to welcome two well-known Austin technology veterans to the executive bench. Together, they will lead the Austin office and oversee key hires in sales, product development, and customer success to meet market demand and ensure that our retail clients derive maximum value from their AR and 3D implementations.”
Opendoor added Austin to its list of Texas offices, following the opening of its Dallas, San Antonio and Houston locations. The company’s realty app went live in Austin a few months back. As its Austin team of 18 continues to add more local property listings, OpenDoor plans to hire 10 additional employees here by the end of the year. Opendoor, which launched in 2014, is now live in 20 markets. Part of its allure is the ability to self-tour homes, request and receive an offer on a home for sale in about 24 hours, and move in as quickly as three to 10 days later.
Partially motivated by its participation in Sputnik ATX’s accelerator, fintech startup SaveDay has relocated its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Austin. Led by President Barry Mione, SaveDay uses technology to offer small-business employees low-cost 401(k) plans at zero cost to the employer. The company is currently raising a seed round in preparation for its next growth stage.
