The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “I am pleased to welcome Virtual Instruments into Tech City, recognising the talent pool of engineers London is able to provide through its universities and dynamic cluster of tech firms. The arrival of another fast-growth company not only generates important new jobs for the city but underlines London’s position as global leader in this sector.”
Initially, Virtual Instruments will be recruiting for software engineers and software QA engineers. Over time, that will be expanded to add support, management and hardware engineering roles to the team.
“Innovation is the foundation of Virtual Instruments’ success, and it will enable us to continue delivering industry-leading products,” said Barry Cooks, vice president of engineering, Virtual Instruments. “The vibrancy and drive of the Tech City community matches our engineering culture, which is built around small teams of very smart people working hard to solve real-world customer problems. Our goal is to hire the best and the brightest people and provide a creative environment where they are free to design and deliver their ideas.”
After considering a number of locations around the world, Virtual Instruments chose London’s Tech City because of its strong engineering talent base, proximity to world class universities with top computer science and engineering programs and an engineering culture driven by innovation. The Virtual Instruments office is at 81 Rivington Street, right in the heart of Tech City.
Virtual Instruments partnered with the Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO) and London & Partners on its search for a location in London. These organisations provided information on the business and talent landscape in the United Kingdom, introduced Virtual Instruments to similar companies in the area and arranged for the company to meet with and explore research activities in local universities.
Benjamin Southworth, deputy CEO at the Tech City Investment Organisation, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Virtual Instruments to Tech City, a move which is further proof of East London’s status as the top European location for international tech businesses. Throughout our discussions with Virtual Instruments, and as we showed them around the area, London’s strong talent base and Tech City’s unique vibrancy really stood out as selling points for the capital. We look forward to them becoming part of the community here.”