Driving Forces Behind Austin’s Tech Scene
Over the past year, Austin has received heaps of media attention, causing analysts to ponder if the Texas city will soon beat out Silicon Valley as the place to be in tech.
High-profile tech executives and big-league companies are moving to Texas. And, with relatively quick rebounds from pandemic unemployment rates, the city’s economy has been faring well. For those looking at new opportunities here, Built In Austin has more than 3,000 jobs posted in the city.
We wanted to highlight a few of these local employers who have recently revealed big news, and even bigger hiring goals.
What they do: Adobe is a household name in digital media and marketing solutions. Its products are loved by users — from emerging artists to global brands — for bringing digital creations to life. The company has more than 21,000 workers across the globe and over 100 active job listings.
Tech stack: The list of available tools is massive across the company. Databases include MySQL, PostgreSQL and Redis. The company uses frameworks such as AngularJS, Ruby on Rails, TensorFlow and Torch. Languages include Python, Java and Scala. Libraries include jQuery, MongoDB and Redux.
What’s new: Adobe announced in August that it had entered an agreement to acquire Frame.io, a cloud-based platform allowing users to edit collaboratively. Frame.io has more than one million users including BuzzFeed, NASA and Vice Media.
What they do: Unity is a platform for creating real-time 2D, 3D and virtual reality content. The development platform is used by creators across industries including gaming, film and architecture. The company has 4,000 employees around the world.
Tech stack: Engineers utilize MongoDB and Teradata databases. Frameworks include ASP.NET, Ruby on Rails and TensorFlow. The company uses languages such as Golang, Python and more.
What’s new: In August, Unity announced it would acquire OTO, an AI-driven platform to help foster safer gaming environments and reduce toxic behavior that leads to poor player experience and lost revenue for game creators.
What they do: Literati started as a service for users to take a look through books before buying them. The company recently introduced a new tool that curates book collections. “We recently launched a new product that brings together the world’s most influential minds and readers into a beautiful community centered around book discussion,” said VP of Product Elizabeth Winkler. “Where else can you say that you get to chat with Malala or Richard Branson about a book?”
Tech stack: The database used is PostgreSQL, while the framework is Django. Languages include JavaScript, Python, SQL and Swift. Libraries are React and Redux.
What’s new: Literati has had 4,898 percent growth in revenue over the last three years, earning the company the number 77 spot on the Inc. 5000 list in August 2021. The company was also named one of Built In's 21 Austin companies to watch after a $40 million Series B in January.
