Providing 20/20 sight for digital systems

In today’s world, digital systems like mobile phones, drones and augmented reality (AR) platforms don’t “see” very well in three dimensions, creating a severe price-to-performance bottleneck. That’s where Quidient comes in. President and CEO, Scott Ackerson and his team break the bottleneck by providing a critical digital component to global product developers. They developed the digital brain of the 3-D imager associated with AR platforms and other visually cognitive systems. As you can imagine, with this development, Quidient is projected to see some serious growth over the next few years. So how did they navigate planning for this growth while selecting their office space?

The 3-D imaging tech startup serves both government (B2G) and business (B2B) customers and currently has ten employees. However, Quidient is projected to double in size each year for the foreseeable future. When Scott and his team set out on their journey to find office space, they were looking for something centrally-located, where they could attract top tech talent and offer up a workspace that would set them apart from their competitors, both large and small. They needed enough space for private offices, high-end workspace and their scene reconstruction laboratory which is used to further develop their technology. Most importantly, they needed space suited for rapid growth.

Brandon Turley, Director of Operations & Finance at Quidient, engaged JLL’s Mike Sullivan to help find the right space for the company’s tech center location, negotiate the lease and provide guidance on the space build out. Mike was crucial in helping Quidient make informed decisions on potential tech center locations. He understood their business and knew exactly what they needed. After a robust market analysis and site search, Mike secured a multi-year lease at Corporate Office Properties Trust’s (COPT) CIRQL, a contemporary coworking community designed for small, growing companies. CIRQL is a collection of small suites in shell condition encircling a hub of amenity spaces. A driving factor for Quidient to secure this space was Mike’s negotiation on the right of expansion, ensuring they can grow anywhere in COPT’s portfolio without penalty.

Quidient occupies 2,600 square feet of space at the COPT CIRQL II building in Columbia, MD. Their team of software developers, optical engineers and business operators sit in the new space, while business development personnel work across the country and around the world. Quidient’s office space in Columbia is the hub that unifies them. Being in this space is different than traditional office space structures, because it allows for a more open environment for the respective tenants to share amenities, therefore saving money on those features and maximizing workspace.