Homegrown tech firm sees new Beltline HQ as the ‘ultimate gathering place’
Paint is not permanent enough for Kabir Barday. He wanted his company’s commitment to Atlanta to cut beneath the surface.
“We etched our name in stone,” Barday, CEO and cofounder of OneTrust, said of his company’s logo emblazoned on a wall within its luxe new Atlanta headquarters. “That’s permanence and confidence.”
OneTrust, a homegrown tech company focused on data security and privacy, opened its 74,000-square-foot headquarters along the bustling Beltline Eastside trail Friday. The headquarters is in the Fourth Ward development along North Angier Avenue, an office project anchored by Mailchimp.
Both are rare Atlanta born and bred “unicorns,” a tech industry term for startups that eclipsed billion-dollar valuations.
Despite being a hub for talent, metro Atlanta has at times been described as a challenging place to grow a tech startup because of it does not have the venture capital capacity of Silicon Valley, Boston or New York City.
Barday, an Atlanta native and Georgia Tech graduate, said the Capital of the South is a great place to grow a company, facing less competition for venture capital investment. While other startup hubs have longer track records of small firms scaling into tech giants, he said OneTrust’s roots in Atlanta run too deep to relocate elsewhere.
Instead, he sees OneTrust’s growing presence in Atlanta as a gravitational force, especially in a tech ecosystem that’s embraced hybrid schedules in a post-pandemic workplace.
“In a world where pretty much every tech company is hybrid, Atlanta is the ultimate gathering place,” he said, touting the city’s globally connected airport and cultural appeal.
Founded in 2016, OneTrust quickly emerged as the fastest-growing private company in the U.S. by 2020, according to business publication Inc. The company’s software centers on helping companies handle data and artificial intelligence responsibly, and it’s amassed more than 14,000 clients.
OneTrust has about 2,000 employees across 13 offices around the globe. Nearly a fourth of those workers are based out of the new Atlanta headquarters, but that worldwide influence is seen throughout the office space.
A snack stand near the entrance highlights local delicacies from OneTrust’s offices — Coca-Cola was Atlanta’s representation. Meeting rooms are named after cities where the company’s clients operate, from Cape Town in South Africa to Bengaluru, India.
Like many offices that try to be “commute worthy,” the headquarters features a variety of seating options, meeting settings, an expansive outdoor area and access to all the trappings of being along the Beltline.
OneTrust’s leaders expect the new office’s cachet to attract and retain talent. Barday said one of the company’s mantras is “bear hug,” meaning don‘t let go of talented workers once you have them.
Michael Schanker, OneTrust’s chief marketing officer, said Atlanta’s growing tech clusters and its higher education talent should help support other startups.
“This area should attract other tech companies,” Schanker said. “We want to build this ecosystem. We don‘t want to be the only one.”
Developed by New City Properties, the Fourth Ward development is one of the largest on the Beltline and includes the office towers, an apartment building and the Forth hotel. Barday said the popular 22-mile trail that encircles Atlanta is the region’s new touchstone.
“Atlanta used to be about ITP and OTP. You’re either inside the perimeter or outside the perimeter,” he said, referencing the popular geographical shorthand for Atlanta’s urban and suburban divide. “Those days are gone. The future of Atlanta is OTB: On the Beltline.”
OneTrust signed a 10-year lease for its headquarters but declined to provide other lease terms. When asked about the price to rent the space, Barday just said it’s “premium.”
Some facets of trendy offices have already become clichés like beer on tap or foosball tables. Barday tucked away OneTrust’s most lavish office perk behind a wall of patents — a hidden speakeasy bar.
That order is intentional. Work is a prelude to play.
“We’re a serious workplace,” Barday said. “And we have fun when we’ve earned it for the right reasons.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the number of clients OneTrust serves.
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
