Sembient, a company focused on spacial analytics technology for smart businesses, has opened a new office in Kearny after receiving approval to participate in the New Jersey Economic Development Authority‘s NJ Ignite program.
Sembient is the second company to take advantage of the program to establish its headquarters at Kearny Point and will join more than 200 businesses that comprise Building 78. The space provides tenants a mix of “flex” spaces and coworking facilities.
“As a relatively new technology company, we’re fortunate not only to have made significant inroads into the smart building market, but also to have headquarters that immerses us in an exciting community full of fellow innovators,” Aleksandar Jovicic, CEO of Sembient, said. “The NJ Ignite program afforded us the additional financial flexibility that is invaluable at this early stage for Sembient, as we continue to grow our customer base of commercial building owners and operators.”
The NJ Ignite program helps startups realize the benefits of the coworking space by providing up o 10 months of rent support for technology and life sciences startups moving to the complex.
“We have consistently found that startups that move to collaborative workspaces like Building 78 are far more likely to succeed than those that go it alone,” NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan said. “Governor Murphy’s vision for positioning New Jersey as the State of Innovation begins with giving these early-stage companies the resources necessary to compete on the global stage. Rent support through NJ Ignite is a critical part of the suite of available tools.”
Since it opened in 2016, Kearny Point has become a business hub for innovative companies, including Bowery Farms, Ciel Power, Oishii Berry and Babo International Trade.
“Kearny Point prides itself on offering a workplace that accommodates a truly diverse mix of traditional and non-traditional office operations, as well as an ecosystem that encourages businesses to collaborate, interact and learn from one another,” Michael Meyes, director of development at Hugo Neu, said. “Sembient is a perfect example of the kind of ambition, curiosity and creativity that we see on a daily basis at Building 78: an innovator that is tackling both business and environmental challenges, and we’re proud to be part of their growth.”
Building 78 is a 160,000-square-foot adaptive reuse of a historic four-story warehouse building and is one of 11 collaborative workspaces approved to participate in the program.
