OpenAI has recently opened an office in Bellevue, Washington, as it establishes a physical presence near its partner Microsoft and aims to tap into the engineering talent pool in the Seattle area. The office opened a few months ago following the company’s $6.5 billion funding round. In addition to Seattle, OpenAI is also opening offices in New York City, Paris, Brussels, and Singapore, as well as growing its headcount in San Francisco, London, Dublin, and Tokyo. In Seattle, the company currently has around 80 employees with three open roles listed on its careers page. The new office will provide OpenAI with an outpost near Microsoft, which has invested $13 billion in the company and provides computing power for its various AI services.
OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft allows the company to access substantial computing resources and funding, while Microsoft gains access to cutting-edge AI technology. This move by OpenAI to establish a physical presence in the Seattle area follows a trend of tech companies setting up offices in the region, which is ranked as the No. 2 tech hub in the U.S. and Canada. The Seattle area has seen companies like Pinterest and Brex opening new offices, while others, such as Microsoft and Meta, have been adjusting their office space due to the rise of hybrid work models. Despite some companies shedding space, others like Snowflake are expanding their footprint in the area.
The office vacancy rate in the eastside of Seattle, including Bellevue, has reached 20% in the third quarter, up from 5.7% in 2019, according to a report from Broderick Group. The overall Seattle office market reached a 30% vacancy rate in the same quarter, as reported by Colliers. OpenAI’s decision to open an office in Bellevue is in line with the trend of companies adapting to hybrid work models and making strategic real estate decisions in response to changing work dynamics. The Seattle Times had previously reported on OpenAI’s plans for a Seattle-area office, highlighting the company’s growth and expansion efforts in the region.
Overall, OpenAI’s move to establish an office in Bellevue, Washington, reflects the company’s strategic growth plans and desire to leverage the engineering talent in the Seattle area. The partnership with Microsoft provides OpenAI with the necessary computing resources and funding to further develop its AI technology, while also benefiting Microsoft by gaining access to cutting-edge innovations. The growth of tech companies in the Seattle region, along with the rise of hybrid work models, is reshaping the office space market in the area. Despite some companies adjusting their office footprint, others are expanding, signaling continued growth and evolution in the Seattle tech hub.
