Trio of tech firms could bring 300+ jobs to region

DENVER — Three technology companies, two of which are headquartered outside of the United States, are looking to the Front Range to establish new headquarters and could ultimately select locations in Northern Colorado or the Boulder Valley.

The unidentified companies were each approved Thursday by the Colorado Economic Development Commission for tax incentive packages that, if accepted, could result in more than 300 new jobs for the region. 

It is the commission’s practice not to identify companies the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade is recruiting until incentives are accepted. 

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Project Files, a New Zealand-based software-as-a-service company that sells document collection tools to streamline clients’ operations, could set up its American headquarters in the Denver metropolitan area, which includes Boulder and Broomfield counties. 

The company has 30 employees, none of whom are based in the United States. 

Project Files was approved for an eight-year, $1,691,400 tax incentive in exchange for the creation of 144 new jobs over that period. 

Those jobs, which would pay an average annual salary of $102,049, would be in sales, marketing and management. 

Within the U.S., the Denver area is competing with Utah, Texas and Illinois for the new headquarters. 

“We’re super excited about this. We’ve been growing really quickly [in New Zealand] and have a reasonable presence in Australia and Australasia,” a Project Files executive identified only as Ky told the EDC. “Now we’re growing quickly in the U.S. and Colorado would be an amazing place to set up our HQ.”

Project Griffin, an aerospace startup developing launch systems for small satellites, is looking for a place to establish its headquarters, research and development, and manufacturing operations. 

The company is considering several states, including Colorado. Within the Centennial State, Project Griffin is eying Boulder, Jefferson and Denver counties. 

Colorado provides Project Griffin access to a deep pool of aerospace talent, a company executive identified only as Chris said. 

“It’s a special place for a lot of us, and we’d love the opportunity to partner with the community,” he said.

Project Griffin was offered an eight-year, $844,130 tax incentive package in exchange for the creation of 105 new jobs in engineering, operations, and management. Those jobs would pay an average annual salary of $90,476.

The tax incentives are also contingent upon Project Griffin securing at least 75% of its $5 million seed funding goal. 

An India-based technology startup known as Project Minecraft is considering opening a United States headquarters in Fort Collins.

The company builds “customized virtual reality training curriculum that immerses the company’s production-floor employees in an environment similar to that of the company’s actual production floor,” according to OEDIT documents. “The platform allows employees to train and learn the company’s manufacturing processes without the dangers or downtime associated with doing so in the company’s facilities.”

Project Minecraft was approved for an eight-year, $494,747 tax incentive package.

“We are excited and hopeful [about] having Colorado as the base of our operations,” a company executive identified as Srinivasan told the EDC.

The company, which is also considering the Bay Area of California for its U.S. headquarters, has pledged to create 54 new jobs with an average annual wage of  $71,676. Those jobs would be spread across roles in management, software and web development, and operations.

“The company behind Project Minecraft learned about Colorado through the foreign direct investment outreach efforts of the Global Business Development division and Gov. Polis in late 2019,” OEDIT director of global business development Michelle Hadwiger said. “This project represents one of several companies that have identified Colorado through these business development activities as a strong information and technology market in the US. In addition, this company would add high paying technology jobs in Fort Collins, continuing the trend of increasing tech density across the entirety of the Front Range.”

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