Read the article here!
Like almost every business, mobile software firm Movius Interactive Corp. asked employees to work from home once the pandemic hit.
During that period, some of the company’s lease obligations expired. But after taking a global survey of all its workers, Movius CEO Ananth Siva said he found people were eager to return to a physical space.
Now, as the company is encouraging its employees to return to the office for the first time in almost three years, it is seizing an opportunity to open a new work environment while also expanding the business.
The company will move out of its Duluth office at 4450 River Green Pkwy for a 9,800-square-foot space space inAlpharetta. That office, located at 1165 Sanctuary Pkwy, offers amenities including conferencing technology, digital monitors and breakout rooms. Movius plans to move into the office in March.
Movius will keep the new facility open seven days a week to employees, but isn’t mandating they return to the office.Siva believes an in-person environment where employees are working interpersonally with one another will yield again in productivity and efficiency.
“Collaboration channels, including video, are uni-dimensional and don’t give employees the full spectrum of social interaction,” Siva said. “We want a space where after a meeting of 20 people, different groups may collaborate or even chit chat and socially interact in ways you don’t get the chance to do in a social collaboration channel.”
The metro Atlanta office will initially hold 55 employees. Movius looks to add 30 more to its local workforce, with roles such as data scientists and Saas Engineers. The company also has offices in Bangalore, India, London and New York. It recently signed a similar lease in Bangalore for an office space of a similar size.
Support from equity investments
Ahead of its expansion plans and new office move-in, the software company got a boost of support from its partners and existing investors.
T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced an equity investment through T-Mobile Ventures in Movius on Feb. 24.Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Siva said Movius will “add value and complement T Mobile’s dominance in the market” with the investment.
Movius, which separates business-related communications from personal ones with a cloud-based software, runs T-Mobile MultiLine service.
Six months before that investment, the company raised $8.3 million of a $10 million round goal. That investment was an inside round led by existing investors with funds going toward research and development and field operations, Siva said. In 2019, Movius closed a $45 million round from investors JPMorgan Chase & Co., PointGuard Ventures, New Enterprise Associates and Anschutz Investment Co.
About the company
The company was created after IPUnity acquired Duluth-based Glenayre in 2007. The company relocated its headquarters to Duluth from Johns Creek in 2017, leasing approximately 13,000-square-feet at River Green BusinessPark.
Siva has been CEO since May 2021. He previously served as chairman of Australia-based Infensa Bioscience Pty Ltd. John Loiacono became Movius’ CEO after its 2019 raise, ending his tenure in the summer of 2021.
