Catalyte plans new development center in Chicago

With a $27 million funding round and acquisition of another company earlier this year, Catalyte CEO Jacob Hsu said the software development agency would look to expand into new cities.
On Tuesday, the company based in Baltimore’s Federal Reserve building announced plans to open a new development center in Chicago. The center will open May 7.
Catalyte operates as a software services firm, completing work for big corporations. But the company takes a unique approach to hiring that aims to open up the career path to people regardless of age, race, gender or education level. As Hsu said earlier this year, Catalyte uses predictive analytics to identify people in other jobs who have the ability to become software developers. Instead of degrees or work at other software firms, the company looks at numerous data points around skills and behavior. Once the candidates are identified, it provides training and creates teams.
To grow, the company is looking to open new centers in cities, where it will draw future developers and provide training. It has an aggressive plan to grow to 20 new centers by 2020.
In a statement, Hsu said Chicago’s tech community, proximity to large companies and growing immigrant population influenced the company’s decision to open there.

“We want to be part of Chicago’s vibrancy and offer new pathways to a tech career to individuals with the aptitude, regardless of their pedigree,” Hsu said.

Locating the centers in major cities also helps the company be close to large clients. Catalyte is also among companies looking to embrace the trend of “onshoring” tech workers, where services companies are in the same place as clients.