Seattle-based Shelf Engine, a startup that automates ordering for grocers, is picking up new office space to house its growing team.
The company is moving into a new downtown space near Second Avenue and Seneca Street, about five blocks from its current location on Third Avenue. A company spokesperson said the new 27,723-square-foot space is roughly four times the size of the old space and has 19 conference rooms. The company plans to move in two to four weeks.
Kane McCord, the company's president and chief revenue officer said Shelf Engine currently has about 225 employees total and plans to hire more than 100 people per year. He added that, about a month ago, the company opened about 1,000 to 2,000 square feet of office space in Denver.
"The company will always have its primary hub and its largest office in Seattle," McCord said. "Having access to these other hubs obviously is a massive asset in terms of talent acquisition."
Shelf Engine, which incorporated in 2016, uses grocery store data such as sales, weather and foot traffic to automate ordering for grocers. The goal is to reduce food waste from excess ordering. According to Shelf Engine, the company has diverted 547 tons of food waste, and the company buys back whatever doesn't sell.
Shelf Engine's clients include Kroger, Target and Walmart.
At the time of the company's $41 million Series B in March, Shelf Engine co-founder and CEO Stefan Kalb told the Business Journal the company had roughly 150 employees and was already hunting for more office space.
"It's not as easy as you would think. You would think people would have let all their office space go now. All the landlords tend to think that they are going to be able to keep rents at the current same level, so we'll see where we end up," Kalb said at the time. "We're honestly looking for a better deal."
