Andi, an artificial intelligence chatbot startup, is leaving Miami for Downtown San Francisco as its workers return to the office.
The move was motivated by the region’s better access to venture capital funding—thanks to the high concentration of potential investors based in San Francisco—and other resources, Andi CEO Angela Hoover told The Standard.
“The move to San Francisco has been exciting because of the community, the access to new resources and new ideas,” Hoover said.
Andi will move its headquarters to 600 California St. in the Financial District. Hoover said the company signed an office lease for a WeWork coworking space in March for $1,160 a month, and the lease will last until the end of 2023.
Andi’s key product is an AI chatbot, which is an alternative to other search engines such as Google, according to its website. The San Francisco Business Times first reported the move.
The move comes amid an influx of venture capital funding for the AI industry in San Francisco, which has seen $5.7 billion of funding for AI during the first half of 2023. Half of all VC investment in AI happened in San Francisco over that period.
The company is backed by $2.5 million in venture capital, Hoover said.
Hoover and co-founder Jed White have already been working out of the California Street office for about a month and plan to move three of the company’s four full-time workers back to the office. Andi also employs seven contractors who work remotely.
The startup’s website now says the company is based in San Francisco.