It turns out, the door swings both ways.
Nashville-based defense-tech startup Xtremis LLC is moving its headquarters to Morgantown, West Virginia, according to a news release, citing access to talent, cost of living and proximity to the defense community.
Xtremis’ departure from Nashville is an oddity for the city’s tech scene, which is far more accustomed to welcoming out-of-state startups to Middle Tennessee, than watching them leave.
Headquarters are especially momentous economic development wins — or loses — because such jobs typically feature higher pay, and they inject a company's decision-makers into the market, which can impact everything from real estate purchases to philanthropy to support for public schools.
Founded in 2021 by a team of Vanderbilt University researchers, Xtremis develops artificial intelligence control systems to improve wireless network performance for the military, according to the release, allowing soldiers to communicate even in the presence of enemy jamming. The startup has won several government-sponsored competitions and was selected into the Army Accelerator program, which is aimed at rapidly moving innovations from private industry to Army products.
As part of the move, Xtremis’ operations and product development will be based inside the Civil Military Innovation Institute, adjacent to the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, according to the release.
“Our move to West Virginia will allow Xtremis to capitalize on the unique defense innovation community anchored by CMI2," Shane Van Wyngaardt, Xtremis co-founder and principal, said in the release. "We are convinced that the access to talent, quality of life, and cost of living benefits afforded by Morgantown will provide a springboard for our continued growth as a company."
It’s not immediately clear how many employees Xtremis has and if any will remain in Nashville.
