Ookla ads U of M research park office
Tech firm’s flagships are Speedtest, Downdetector
Global technology company Ookla has opened an office at the University of Memphis Foundation Research Park, the company announced Thursday.
The company is considered a worldwide leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights. Its flagship products are Speedtest and Downdetector.
“We believe that networking and connections should reach beyond the confines of the internet. We’re excited to strengthen our presence in the Memphis community and broaden our recruitment efforts for top-notch local talent with the University of Memphis,” said Doug Suttles, Ookla co-founder and chief executive officer.
The office officially opened Thursday. Ookla has not said how many employees it plans to hire but that it does want to expand upon the about 25 people currently employed at the Memphis office.
Headquartered in Seattle, Ookla is part of digital media and internet company Ziff Davis.
U of M President Bill Hardgrave described Ookla’s decision to locate at the research park as an “exclamation point on Phase 1.”
“A key goal of the Research Park is to recruit innovative research-oriented companies to our metro area that can leverage the deep science expertise and workforce pipelines of the University to grow in Memphis,” he said in a release.
Ted Townsend, chief economic development officer of the Greater Memphis Chamber, which helped bring Ookla
to Memphis, said “the four Rs” have long been a draw to Memphis: runway, river, road and rail.
“Now that the University of Memphis has been recognized as one of the toptier research institutions in the nation, we’re adding ‘research’ to our list of reasons world-class companies like Ookla are choosing to invest in Greater Memphis,” Townsend said.
The company is looking to hire local employees as it expands into Memphis.
Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development and healthcare for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.kennedy@ Commercialappeal.com.