Global automation company doubles down on Houston as it grows its United States presence
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When UiPath decided to look into an office in Houston, it was a bit of a gamble, since Houston's not particularly known for its wealth of hardware talent.
"We did a little bit of an experiment to see what the skills would be like specifically in a Houston office," Marie Myers, CFO of the company and based in Houston, tells InnovationMap. "As a robotics company, we weren't sure if we'd get more of those software skills. It's not a natural market for those skills."
But Houston — and Texas in general — is a great location for the robotics process automation company, Myers says. It's central and optimal for customer acquisition. Valued at $7 billion, UiPath has over 2,500 customers — adding six more a day on average, according to a news release.
Since beginning Houston operations in January, Myers says she's very pleased with the 71-person team the company has assembled locally, and the company has even expanded in that short time. Following a $568 million Series D round closing, the company almost doubled its office size.
"The Series D is critical for us as we continue to grow and we're using those proceeds to grow our base across the world, and obviously part of the Houston expansion has been just that," Myers says.
UiPath plans to really settle into Houston and even bring a an RPA Immersion Lab into its Houston office. The lab would allow for potential customers to try out the technology and run simulations. The lab is on the docket for 2020, Myers says.
Another way UiPath is engaging with the Houston community is through its connection to students and universities. The company has an arrangement with six universities in Houston and is even located just across the street from the University of Houston-Downtown. Myers says the company had one of its largest group of interns working in Houston.
"It's going to be so important for students graduating to have experience in up-and-coming technologies, like RPA," Meyers says. "We see such great support from the local universities."
