Writer: Joey Garrand
2 min read November 2021 — Tampa has been noted by Forbes to be the premier destination for tech companies in Florida, with Tampa possessing nearly 25% of the state’s tech jobs. Here are four companies that recently made the move to Florida’s tech capital, further fueling the city’s tech growth.
Rapid7
On Oct. 26, it was announced that Rapid7, Inc., a leading provider of security analytics and automation, is establishing an office in Tampa. The company’s initial expansion will bring more than 100 new data and software engineering, development, customer support, IT, and human resources jobs to Tampa, with further job growth anticipated in the following years. The company’s office will be located at Industrious.
ARK Investment Management
On Oct. 6, it was announced that ARK Investment Management LLC, an investment adviser focused solely on investing in disruptive innovation, is moving its corporate headquarters to St. Petersburg, Florida. “Tampa has been recognized as the top emerging technology city in the US and the broader area including St. Petersburg is among the top metro areas for STEM professionals,” stated Jana Haines, ARK’s Chief Strategy Officer, in the press release. ARK has over $40 billion in assets under management.
Genesis Systems
On Sept. 14, it was announced that Genesis Systems LLC, a company that develops sustainable water solutions globally, is establishing its corporate headquarters in Tampa. The company has 20 employees and plans to add 125 new jobs to the area over the coming five years. “In the final analysis, there wasn’t even a close second. Tampa won hands down,” CEO Shannon Stuckenberg said about the decision. Stuckenberg noted that the company’s primary focus was attracting the best talent, which means offering the best lifestyle.
Fast
On Aug. 3, it was announced that Fast, an online login and checkout solutions provider, is opening a Tampa office to serve as the company’s East Coast hub. The company hopes to have added a couple hundred of jobs to Tampa by the end of 2021. CEO Domm Holland said that while scouting potential cities to call home, he and his family fell in love with Tampa, “We loved everything about it.”
A common theme running throughout the relocations and expansions of tech and tech-related companies to Tampa Bay is the attraction of talent through quality of life. For five consecutive years, Florida has ranked No. 1 in net migration with an influx of 700 residents per day, with Tampa Bay being a primary beneficiary of this migration.
Despite its growth, Tampa Bay has been able to maintain a cost of living below the national average, an added bonus to the constant sunshine, beautiful coastline and geographic safety from hurricanes. It is because of this that Tampa ranked ninth among U.S. markets in tech talent growth over a five-year span, increasing 23.5% from 2016–2020. Tampa was also noted for attracting millennials, the generation which represents the majority of the tech workforce, ranking eighth in percentage gain of millennials with a 14.5% increase since 2014.
