Tech company Fast picks Tampa for major East Coast hub - Tampa Bay Times

Fast, a San Francisco financial tech company that deals in online checkout services, has named Tampa its official East Coast home base.

The company is planning a hiring campaign during which it hopes to hire some 200 employees, many based in Tampa.

The company announced the moves during an unusually star-studded ceremony at Sparkman Wharf, with executives flanked by Mayor Jane Castor, the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and the Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier. NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman kicked off the morning by driving donuts in a Fast-branded truck; the event ended with jet-skiiers performing aerial tricks in Garrison Channel.

“I wanted to be in an area brimming with innovative energy and stocked with skilled talent, and family friendly,” said CEO Domm Holland, who is moving his own family to Tampa. “And we found that and much more here in Tampa.”

With (from left) Nikita Kucherov, Kevin Kiermaier and Mayor Jane Castor behinnd him, Fast CEO Domm Holland announces his company is opening a major East Coast hub in Tampa. The announcement took place Aug. 3, 2021 at Sparkman Wharf. [ Screengrab from Facebook ]

Founded in 2019, Fast is designed to simplify the online shopping process through secure one-click checkouts. The company currently has more than 200 employees and $124 million in venture capital funding, as well as its own line of apparel and accessories, from hoodies to headwear to stickers. The hot item at Tuesday’s announcement event at: T-shirts bearing the phrase “Champa Bay Goes Fast.”

Holland said it picked Tampa for its East Coast hub in part because of the region’s burgeoning technology scene. Tech moves and expansions in Tampa Bay this year include the cybersecurity firm ID.me, real estate services firm HomeLight and coding “bootcamp” CodeBoxx.

In a recent survey, commercial real estate services firm CBRE found Tampa Bay to be among the top 10 North American markets for tech talent growth, with its pool of workers growing 23.5 percent since 2016. The study found that Tampa Bay one of only nine U.S. markets with a net “brain gain” during that span, attracting more out-of-town tech-degree graduates than it produced.

“To build on our tech portfolio, we were looking for those businesses that were focused on the new economy, that were focused on bringing those high-tech, skilled jobs into our community,” Castor said. “That’s exactly what Fast does, and they’re doing it very fast.”

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Tech company Fast picks Tampa for major East Coast hub - Tampa Bay Times
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