CBRE released its “Scoring Tech Talent” report last week, listing the top 50 markets for tech talent in North America with mention of the “Next 25.”
It’s an annual reminder that the sense of startup momentum in Buffalo is mostly useful when weighed against the city’s own history.
It’s true that there are many more growth-stage startups, tech entrepreneurs and funding rounds than there were 10 years ago. But there are lots of other places with more breadth — including Rochester and Albany — and that are growing more quickly.
So how does Buffalo, which comes in at 68 in the overall rankings, crack the top 50? CBRE’s analysis used 13 metrics to measure the vitality of markets, their attractiveness to companies seeking tech talent, and the quality and volume of tech workers seeking employment.
Markets 49 (Milwaukee, 29,810 tech jobs) and 50 (Richmond, 24,520) both heavily outpace Buffalo’s total tech employment of 13,990.
Here is a look at the Buffalo-based companies who have pledged big growth in their tech workforces in the coming years.
M&T Bank
M&T Bank's Tech Hub
The Buffalo-based bank announced a few years ago that it planned to add 1,000 technologists to its workforce.
Bank CEO Rene Jones told reporters during a tour of the bank’s new $58 million downtown Tech Hub that about 400 of those jobs have been filled, meaning there are about 600 to go in the coming years.
ACV Auctions
ACV Auctions is a massive presence among tech employers in Buffalo, and one glance at its careers page shows that it is hiring both here and at locations across the U.S.
ACV went public in March and a spokeswoman told Business First it would no longer be sharing its regional or overall headcount, but it’s safe to say the company’s rapid business growth will be supported by a substantially larger workforce in Buffalo.
HiOperator
HiOperator is preparing to move this summer into its new 25,000-square-foot headquarters in the downtown Roblin Building. Company CEO Elizabeth Tsai has not given an overall employment breakdown of the company, other than to say it has hired hundreds in Buffalo over the past few years and plans to continue that growth into the foreseeable future.
AML RightSource
AML RightSource has only been in Buffalo for two years but already has 100 employees here as it prepares to move into its new Seneca One Tower offices. The company works in the financial services industry, but it is just starting through acquisitions and organic growth to add technology capabilities that CEO Frank Ewing believes will be an important part of its future.
Conversion Monster
Conversion Monster went from about 30 employees before the pandemic to about 110 now, and it is hiring as fast as its recruiting efforts allow. As many of those workers as possible will be staffed out of Conversion Monster’s new headquarters at the 500 Seneca building.
Circuit Clinical
Circuit Clinical is soaring on the back of a $7.5 million Series B funding round earlier this year, with 50 employees now and plans to expand its workforce by multiples of that in the coming years.
Jerry
Palo Alto-based Jerry closed on $28 million in venture capital earlier this year and promptly committed to doubling its 50-person hub in Lockport.
Torch Labs
Torch Labs is based in San Francisco, but its engineering team is based in Buffalo. The company raised $25 million in venture capital earlier this year and said it would double its engineering team, with a focus on hiring in Buffalo but a willingness to support remote work.
Check out more hot startups in Buffalo with this review of local funding deals so far in 2021
