Software solutions firm SmashFly goes from Boston to Belfast with the opening of a new office that will house 70 staff.
As part of its first expansion outside of its native US, SmashFly Technologies has officially opened a new office in Belfast to provide its software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering for some of the world’s largest companies.
The investment is expected to create 70 jobs and will contribute more than £3m annually in salaries to the Irish economy, helped by Invest NI offering £455,000 towards the creation of the new roles.
The team will include software development engineers, with a focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), but will also function as a full-scale sales, marketing and operations hub for UK and European expansion.
The Boston-headquartered company said that the hiring process will look to bring in both graduate and experienced engineering roles, with a focus on AI and GDPR compliance.
The company’s software has proven particularly useful for large organisations such as JP Morgan and PwC, which use its software for recruitment to identify possible candidates before anyone has even applied for a role.
Thom Kenney, SmashFly’s CEO, said at the opening: “While considering Northern Ireland to expand our global software development teams, we found a natural fit for SmashFly in a talented technical community that was eager to build complex, data-driven technology solutions.”
He continued: “The Northern Ireland base affords SmashFly the opportunity to build a global brand, add enhanced support and service to the global customers we serve, and reach new customers in the UK and wider European markets.
“The Belfast team will lead critical initiatives around AI and machine learning, creating world-class technologies that define the future of talent acquisition.”
SmashFly announced in February of this year that it had experienced 2017 year-over-year customer growth of 47pc, an increase of 68pc of system users, having added clients including Toyota, PSA Airlines and Staples.
