Klipfolio moves to former theatre

By Nathan Bragg

Centretown-based tech firm Klipfolio is growing and preparing for a big move to the World Exchange Plaza on O’Connor Street, taking over the former Landmark Cinemas space.

The company, founded by Allan Wille and Peter Matthews, began  offering a web-based dashboard that supports small and mid-size businesses with  real time information on finances in 2012.

The firm has been steadily hiring since then as it continues to grow.

Last  year, the firm already hit full capacity at its current location on Gloucester Street despite adding  more space in 2015.

“The problem was that within a year of finishing the renovation, we were probably at about 60 people (from 50),” said Wille.

The new space used to be home to Landmark Cinemas but the theatre closed in 2013 and is being converted to office spaces, with Klipfolio expecting the renovations to be complete in the fall.

The renovations can’t come soon enough. The company plans on hiring 40 to 45 new employees and recently received a $12-million investment.

Wille said proximity to downtown and employee feedback were major factors. in choosing the new office.

“We looked at a number of spots downtown, and everybody that we showed, (it) was just night and day with this compared to any of the others spots we looked at.”

Ottawa has long been a hub for technology and innovation, and the downtown core is getting more attention as a location for growth.

“A couple key advantages to having a technology system in Ottawa would be talent and a strong university ecosystem,” said Adam Dewar, a manager at Invest Ottawa, an agency devoted to economic development in the region.

While Kanata and Nepean are known as major areas for technology firms, there is a cluster developing in the Centretown area, including Shopify, a star performer headquartered at 150 Elgin St.

“We’re at a near-record level of activity in our technology space,” said Dewar. “We’re at a near-record level of activity in our technology space.”

Wille said that while Kanata is still a force in networking, he believes a cluster of software industries is coalescing in the downtown area.

“In reality those things (software and networking) are starting to merge. There are networking companies downtown and software companies in Kanata.”

While the move is still months away, employees at Klipfolio are excited about the change of location.

“Where are we moving was the number one question, and once I told them we were moving even more downtown, people were relieved,” said Matthews.

Matthews said he thinks the move will sustain morale around the office.

“We want people to enjoy being in our new space and we want people to come to work, and I think the surroundings outside of the office are equally relevant to how people go about getting the work done.”