New Tech Superstar Zoom Adding R&D Office in Pittsburgh

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated a wide swath of American business, with most companies doing their best simply to survive the near-halt in economic activity.

Yet there have been a few bright spots, particularly in the technology sector, where cameras and apps can bridge the gaps created by working from home, social distancing and other public health practices that were unheard of at the beginning of 2020 and now likely will define the year forever.

Perhaps the single biggest beneficiary of that shift has been video conferencing firm Zoom, which has been steadily growing in popularity since its founding in 2011 but skyrocketed into the stratosphere in the first quarter of 2020 as everyone began looking for ways to stay in touch with colleagues and loved ones.

With that explosion in popularity came opportunity for the company to grow, and where did it look to plant new seeds? Pittsburgh.

Why Pittsburgh?

With about 2,000 employees, Zoom is a sizeable company, but its recent success has provided the opportunity for an unexpected growth spurt. And when the San Jose, Calif.-based firm began looking for the best places to open research and development centers, its eyes settled on Pittsburgh.

“Zoom’s announcement is great news for the region. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we continue to attract technology-based, future-facing companies,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Zoom’s presence here is proof that we’re one of the premier technology centers in the country. I’m proud of our strong partnerships that attract cutting-edge companies like Zoom. We look forward to working with all of our partners to strengthen our regional economy that embraces the tech community, and so many other industries.”

Along with a second R&D center in Arizona, Zoom hopes to tap into the newest generation of tech developers to drive its next steps, according to Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan.

“Both Phoenix and Pittsburgh have incredibly well-educated, skilled and diverse talent pools that are well-positioned to help support Zoom’s ongoing growth and continued success,” Yuan said. “We plan to hire up to 500 software engineers between these two cities in the next few years, drawing largely on recent graduates of the many local universities.”

With a worldwide reputation for pioneering cutting-edge technology, fueled by powerhouse research institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, the region was an obvious candidate for Zoom’s growth.

 

“With our visionary faculty and exceptionally talented students, Carnegie Mellon is catalyzing revolutionary work to accelerate digital transformation across markets and industries, and we look forward to partnering with Zoom to enhance their remarkable momentum in defining the future of virtual interactions,” said Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University.

The latest addition to Pittsburgh’s tech scene underscores the city’s burgeoning reputation as a global center for the industry, attracting household names and nascent startups alike.