The fast-growing company behind a platform for buying and selling renewable energy has moved to the 91,000 sq ft Base at Manchester Science Park.
Having signed a five-year lease to take 4,000 sq ft at Base, UrbanChain says its new headquarters, situated in the heart of Manchester’s knowledge quarter, will help it to recruit the talent it needs to match its expansion ambitions.
Working closely with the Bruntwood SciTech team to design and fit-out its new office space, the move represents a new chapter of sophistication for the business as it embarks on further growth.
Backed by leading European investment group Eurazeo, UrbanChain is the UK’s leading provider of peer-to-peer energy exchange services. The company featured on BusinessCloud’s EnviroTech 50 ranking and GM 125 Rising Stars of Business lists this year.
It decouples renewable energy and consumers from the volatile wholesale market, creating an alternative market with renewables to sell directly to people who want it – making green energy viable without subsidies and affordable for all.
Office buildings, data centres, hospitals, universities, housing associations, energy suppliers, industrial sites, local authorities and green energy generators all trade within the regulated platform which is blockchain-backed and powered by AI.
EnviroTech 50 – UK’s most innovative green tech creators for 2024
Aligning to UrbanChain’s own ethos and focus on green energy, Base benefits from a number of sustainability measures and operates at Net Zero Carbon across the building’s communal areas.
“With a team rapidly growing beyond 50 people we are delighted to call Base our new home,” said Somayeh Taheri, founder and CEO at UrbanChain.
“Ofgem granted UrbanChain an electricity supply licence a handful of weeks ago, triggering another breakthrough in our journey. It means we can offer green energy customers new and improved products while giving renewable generators more control.
“As we also now embark on a Series B fundraise, we feel we have a working environment which aligns our talented workforce with our UK and international growth strategy.”
Josh Whiteley, commercial director for Bruntwood SciTech, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting UrbanChain with their next phase of growth.
“From starting out with a single desk at our Manchester Technology Centre at Circle Square in 2018, we’ve witnessed them go from strength to strength – growing with us; expanding into various spaces within the Park, before reaching this milestone and settling in our state-of-the-art office development, Base. We can’t wait to see what happens next on their journey.”