MESSAGE
| DATE | 2011-12-27 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Tech Jobs in Brooklyn
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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/bklyn-tech-entrepreneur-eric-alterman-plans-hire-hundreds-dumbo-company-article-1.996962?localLinksEnabled=false
A tech company that’s taking root in DUMBO plans to hire hundreds of
skilled workers over the next few years.
“Nine workers to 900 is not a pipe dream; it’s a five-year
plan,†said Flow CEO and founder Eric Alterman.
It has nine employees now — but more are on the way. Already, the
business just barely fits into its 500-square-foot space at 155 Water
St., in an office-sharing facility called Green Desk.
Alterman, 48, hopes to find a bigger office in the neighborhood to move
the company into by February.
There are a number of buildings in DUMBO with space that would
potentially be suitable, he said.
The company has created a data exchange service — which collects
info on ideas and topics that interest users and streams it real-time
onto their personalized homepages. They can share the info with others
if they wish, and contribute their own content to it.
“The Stock Exchange is located on Wall Street, but the world’s
data exchange is going to be located in DUMBO,†he said.
The nabe is home to a growing number of tech firms, notably Etsy and
Huge, that are expanding.
Alterman plans a slow but steady stream of hiring in 2012, which will
accelerate late in the year. By the end of 2013, he expects to have a
staff of 75. He plans to stick with DUMBO as he grows the business from
there.
“There’s a lot of engineering talent that lives all over
Brooklyn. The idea of working in Brooklyn appeals to them a lot,â€
Alterman said. “It saves them commute time. That really matters.â€
He also expects other companies will use Flow as a platform for
developing apps, which will spawn growth in their hiring.
Before starting Flow, the Gramercy Park resident launched a series of
tech companies, some with as many as 200 employees apiece — like
MeshNetworks, which Motorola acquired for $230 million in 2004.
A recent creation, KickApps, which was located in the Flatiron District,
was acquired by another tech firm last January.
Alterman has raised $3.3 million in initial funding for his DUMBO biz
from investors including Cloud Capital Partners, BH Venures, Birnberg
Group and Kappa East.
That money should get Flow through 2012. He’ll likely raise more
cash in the course of the year for future use.
His code writers got to work on Flow in March 2010. In November, he
opened its two related websites to about 1,000 users by invitation only
- iflow.com for consumers and flow.net for techies who will use it to
create apps.
Some time in January, the sites will be open to all comers, he said.
Co-founder and chief technology officer Tom Luczak, 33, is pleased the
company is growing — but sorry it has to leave its big-windowed
corner office in the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge.
“It will be tough to give up this view,†Luczak said.
lcroghan-at-nydailynews.com
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