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Little Rock Tech Park Announces First Tenants

3 min read

The Little Rock Technology Park on Tuesday announced the first slate of tenants moving into Phase 1 of its permanent offices at 415 and 417 Main St., which are set to open March 1.

In all, the tenants will bring 50 employees into the two buildings, which the park acquired in February and has spent nearly $7 million to renovate.

Five of the tenants had leased space in the tech park’s temporary offices at 107. E Markham St. They are:

  • The Venture Center, which offers programming, mentorship and other services to young startups.
  • Corporate Insight Strategy, which is also moving from the park’s temporary space. The company, formerly known as Merger Match, handles non-financial due diligence for companies looking to merge, among other strategic services.
  • iDatafy, a real-time information services company that helps clients fight fraud and improve marketing efficiencies.
  • Mary Lewis, executive director of Accelerate Arkansas, which aims to bring high-wage, knowledge-based and technology-centric jobs to Arkansas.
  • Clay Simmons, senior manager of software engineering and development for Comcast Corp. Simmons previously worked for OneTwoSee, which the publicly traded cable giant acquired.

Other tenants are:

  • LumoXchange, which is moving from Atlanta and helps people find the best exchange rates when sending money abroad. The startup has partnered with Bear State Bank of Little Rock and is a graduate of the inaugural Venture Center-hosted FinTech Accelerator.
  • PC Assistance, a technology consulting firm with a cybersecurity focus that was founded in 1994 and headquartered in west Little Rock. The tech park will house the company’s new satellite office.
  • PFITR, another FinTech Accelerator graduate, which is moving to Little Rock from St. Louis. It offers bond and fixed income pricing, analytics, compliance and controls for public funds investors and others.
  • Sparkible, which builds data-focused online marketing cooperatives for affiliate groups and is moving from another location in Little Rock.
  • Labscoop, a Little Rock startup that developed an online platform scientists can use to shop for lab equipment.
  • Redoxica, another Little Rock Startup that makes biotechnology and medical devices.

Ted Clouser of PC Assistance told Arkansas Business that the firm had been dealing with some spacing issues and is moving four or five people to the Tech Park. He said this location for its satellite office made sense, was a good fit for what the company does and that PC Assistance wants to be a part of the “going to be huge” technology scene in Little Rock.

Construction on Phase 1 began in April and is expected to wrap up Feb. 24, Little Rock Tech Park Executive Director Brent Birch said Tuesday during a news conference at the Little Rock Regional Chamber.

Birch said the tenants announced Tuesday, with the exception of the Venture Center, will occupy 65 percent of the buildings’ furnished space. The Venture Center will lease 1,955 SF; it’s the only tenant on the list locked into a long-term lease because startups need flexible lease terms as they grow, he said.

The park is offering grants to some applicants, which would pay below-market lease rates for a maximum of two years before gradually increasing over the next two years to reach the market rate. The Little Rock Technology Park Authority Board approved rental rates in early April. 

Co-working desks, small one- and two-person suites and two unfurnished 5,800-SF floors are still available for lease.

Phase 2 of the park includes for wet and dry laboratory space. Birch said work to raise money for Phase 2 hasn’t started yet, and that the first step would be to acquire more property near Phase 1.

The Tech Park has ended its lease at its temporary space and plans to move out on Feb. 28. 

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