A global data company has chosen Tampa for its U.S. headquarters, citing its booming technology scene and strong talent pool.
MANTA, based in Prague, Czech Republic, moved its New York office to Tampa last year but recently deemed the city its new U.S. headquarters. MANTA CEO Tomas Kratky "fell in love immediately" with the city, and Shane James, senior vice president of customer success, has lived in Tampa for the last five years.
"One of the things we look at is where do we find the best talent, but also where can we attract them if we don’t have talent," James said in an interview with Tampa Bay Inno. He added they looked at other potential up-and-coming tech hubs but declined to disclose specific cities. "We've seen a huge change the last two months; it's much easier to hire because so many are moving from other areas, and as a tech center, we couldn't have asked for a better city."
The company offers a data lineage platform that ensures data integrity, allowing users full visibility and control of their data pipeline.
It has roughly 40 local employees who work out of Tampa's WeWork space. James estimates the company's global presence will add around 100 new employees by the end of the year, with 40% to 60% of those working in Tampa.
"When we were looking at different locations, we looked for a balance of cost of living, skill sets of the technology [talent pool] and up-and-coming markets where people would be excited to move," James said, adding the company is hiring across the board, especially in the sales, marketing, operations and customer service departments.
MANTA has looked at several office spaces throughout Tampa for a more permanent home, with James stating the biggest drawback is finding a large enough space to accommodate its quick growth.
"When you look at the market, [a focus on data] wasn't prevalent in the past," he said. "But with the rise of chief data officers and caring more about data than ever before, what we provide is very valuable. So this is an up-and-coming market that we have the fortune to be a leader in, and we really enjoy being here."
