Tech Startup 1871 Continues Expansion
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Emanuel on Tuesday unveiled the expansion of the city's 1871 tech company incubator, with 16 companies adding 700 jobs
"Today both 1871 and Chicago's tech scene are growing so I want to thank these companies for committing to adding jobs and supporting the incubator where some of them started out," Emanuel said in a statement.
According to a City Hall news release, tech companies adding jobs in Chicago include:
blitsy – e-commerce company and community changing the way creative people worldwide buy their arts and crafts supplies; 30 jobs
BuiltWorlds – multimedia company offers news, analysis, and events that promote innovation and connections within the built environment; 20 jobs
Civis Analytics – builds a cloud-based technology platform that empowers organizations to run analytics faster, smarter and more accurately with data science; 75 jobs
Closerlook, Inc. – full-service digital marketing agency that helps pharmaceutical marketers build better relationships with their customers; 50 jobs
DevBridge Group – technology consultancy and strategic partner to industry leaders in manufacturing, financial services and technology; 20 jobs
DialogTech – as the combination of Ifbyphone and Mongoose Metrics, is the market leader in call analytics and optimization, providing data-driven marketers with the only end-to-end call attribution and conversion platform; 25 jobs
HighGround – HR cloud platform designed for employees and to help companies transform the way they develop and engage their workforces; 25 jobs
ITSavvy – information technology products and solutions company with a national reputation for strong client relationships; 30 jobs
kCura – develops e-discovery software Relativity for managing large volumes of evidence during litigation of investigations; 100 jobs
Luxury Garage Sale - omni-commerce luxury consignment brand that sells new and gently used designer clothing and accessories; 40 jobs
Mattersight – helps brands have better conversations with their customers through a stack of patented, personality-based SaaS applications that analyze the language exchanged during sales and service interactions; 35 jobs
Reverb – online marketplace for musicians to buy and sell the gear they use to create the music they love; 50 jobs
ReviewTrackers – software company that actively monitors reviews as they get posted, in one easy-to-use dashboard; 60 jobs
SpotHero – on-demand parking marketplace that enables drivers to reserve parking deals with convenient garages, lots and valets; 25 jobs
Trustwave – cloud and managed security services company that helps businesses fight cybercrime, protect data and reduce security risk; 150 jobs
Yello – builds transformative technology for companies to hire the right candidate at the right time; 40 jobs
"We want companies all over the world to say, 'If I'm coming to jump off my international business, do it in Chicago,' " said 1871 chief Howard Tullman. "Or, if I'm moving to expand my company, do it in Chicago. The resources are here, the connections, the networks, but the biggest thing is job growth"
1871's expansion marks the latest phase of the organization's remarkable growth, which has seen it develop from a 50,000 square foot experiment launched in 2012 to 115,000 square feet on the 12th and 13th floors of The Merchandise Mart.
The expansion allows 1871 to house larger companies that have outgrown their current space but want to continue to grow within the 1871 environment.
