ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / January 17, 2019 / Smarp, the Finland-based internal content hub provider for employee engagement and advocacy, has announced today that its United States offices will be relocating to Atlanta, Georgia.
Smarp's North American business development and customer success management team has operated out of New York City since 2015, and the company has decided to move its U.S. base down south as it eyes further expansion in the American market.
The new Atlanta office comes as part of Smarp's efforts to accelerate growth after securing €4.2M in funding from Nauta Capital in May. The Series A funding round was specifically held to fuel the company's expansion beyond the Eurozone. Aside from Finland and the US, Smarp also operates in London, UK and Stockholm, Sweden.
"Over the next few years, we plan to grow our Atlanta operations into equal status and importance as our global headquarters in Helsinki, Finland," said Smarp CEO Roope Heinilä.
Smarp estimates that 30% of the companies using its platform and 30% of its billings already come from the US.
Employee advocacy and internal communications have gained much interest among human resources, marketing and sales departments in recent years. With the explosion of social media and influencer marketing, employees can employees can grow their influence as thought leaders and become brand ambassadors.
The relocation is expected to provide a more growth-conducive environment for the company. Indeed, Georgia has been consistently cited by Site Selection magazine as the country's top state for businesses. The company also hopes to attract top talent in its new location. Market research firm Forrester identified Atlanta as among the country's leading hotspots for available elite tech talent.
Smarp CEO Roope Heinilä shared his excitement about the move. "We looked at several potential locations in the US when we decided to relocate our North American headquarters from New York," he said.
"Our primary criterion was the availability of talent, and Atlanta's world-class universities and diverse talent pool made it a top pick for us. In New York, we found that much of the talent pool was focused on the financial and media industries, whereas we see Atlanta as a growing tech hub with a vast and diverse talent pool. We're looking forward to contributing to the growth of the local ecosystem."
"Smarp's selection of Atlanta as its U.S. headquarters underscores the continuing growth of Atlanta's high-tech industry and reflects the expanding business links between Georgia and Finland," said John Saunders, Honorary Consul of Finland in Atlanta and a partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.
Assistance from The Georgia Department of Economic Development was instrumental in Smarp's decision, along with key support from the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Georgia Power.
"Smarp's new North American headquarters here provides our business community with more solutions for employee engagement and advocacy," said Metro Atlanta Chamber President and CEO Hala Moddelmog. "I am excited to see another international company choose Georgia and join our strong technology ecosystem."
About Smarp
Founded in 2011, Smarp is privately held and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Smarp employs more than 70 professionals, working with over 300 global customers, to change the way organizations communicate, engage and empower their employees.
Smarp was built to serve as the primary place where employees can find and discuss content related to their industry and expertise. With Smarp, employees can easily catch up on the latest industry trends and share relevant content with their personal networks. As a result, not only do companies improve their internal communications and employee engagement, they also boost their marketing strategy, support their salespeople's social selling efforts and bring their social recruiting strategy to the next level.
Media Contacts
For more information about Smarp and its platform, visit https://www.smarp.com.
Press
[email protected].
Dan Edelstein
+972-545-464-238
SOURCE: Smarp