- Published:
- Thursday 23 November 2017
Melbourne-born tech giant LiveTiles will establish its new global innovation centre and Asia-Pacific headquarters in Geelong, creating 500 jobs.
Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Trade and Investment Philip Dalidakis today to announce the award-winning company will base its regional operations in Victoria’s largest regional centre — turbo-charging Geelong’s tech sector and delivering a huge boost for local employment.
The Andrews Labor Government played an active role landing the deal because we know that good long-term jobs are vital for our regions and our towns. Thanks to our support, LiveTiles will partner with local universities, TAFEs and secondary schools to create opportunities for tech graduates and drive research projects.
LiveTiles was established by Melburnians Karl Redenbach and Peter Nguyen-Brown, and allows users to create their own intelligent workplace software using simple drag and drop functionality.
It has offices in New York City, Washington State, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, North Carolina, London, Zurich, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart and major markets include the US, UK, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Australia.
The regional headquarters and innovation centre will be a major part of the company’s global operations, providing service and technical support to thousands of customers around the world including PepsiCo and the US Department of Defence.
The investment by LiveTiles will transform Geelong’s digital technology sector, which already features major companies like education technology provider Tribal Group and incubators like Runway Geelong.
Alongside the Labor Government’s $60 million startup fund LaunchVic, which is attracting significant tech investment to Victoria, LiveTiles will also benefit from payroll tax cuts that reduce payroll tax for businesses based mainly in regional Victoria by 25 per cent.
Victoria’s highly-skilled workforce and vibrant tech sector have helped the state build a global reputation as an Asia Pacific tech hub and attracted investments by global leaders such as Alibaba, Dialog, Square and CyberGym – all of whom have recently established regional headquarters here in Victoria.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“This major coup will see 500 more jobs heading for Geelong – all part of the massive jobs boom spreading across Victoria.”
“From Geelong to Gippsland – we’re fighting for every job and building a stronger and fairer Victoria.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Trade and Investment Philip Dalidakis
“We’re bringing the biggest and brightest global companies to Victoria to invest and create jobs.”
Quote attributable to Member for Geelong Christine Couzens
“This is another win for Geelong’s growing tech sector and will create more jobs for locals.”
Quote attributable to Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville
"The LiveTiles office will offer a boost to the region by delivering 500 new jobs for Geelong and Bellarine."
Quote attributable to Member for Lara John Eren
"Geelong will welcome LiveTiles with open arms. This announcement is a strong vote of confidence in our region and proves we are an attractive place to do business."