Case Study

Benchmark Labs relocates HQ from SF; taps into San Diego talent pool and cleantech industry

ServiceTalent Pipeline Development

ServiceRegulatory/Permitting Support

Benchmark Labs provides asset-specific environmental forecasting for the agricultural, energy, and insurance sectors. The company combines its proprietary AI software and grid-level weather data with site-based Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to provide precise asset-located weather forecasting to optimize renewable energy generation and water allocation, reduce spatial basis risk, and maximize financial benefits.

COMPANY

CHALLENGE

Originally based in San Francisco, Benchmark Labs was looking to relocate to a region with greater access to STEM talent and an established Cleantech industry. Enter, San Diego. Benchmark Labs reached out to EDC to receive transitional support and access to talent through the region’s leading education institutions.

EDC SOLUTION AND SUPPORT PROVIDED

To support Benchmark Labs’ relocation to the San Diego region, EDC connected the company with the City of San Diego’s Economic Development Department and provided a series of resources needed for the paperwork at the federal, state, and local level. EDC also connected Benchmark Labs to the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) housed within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development for further support.

To support the company’s staffing needs, Benchmark Labs was connected to Advancing San Diego’s Preferred Provider programs. The company also applied and was selected to host interns through EDC’s Advancing San Diego Internship Program. After a competitive application process, Benchmark was selected to receive interns in software engineering and business, all sourced from vetted Preferred Providers of talent.

VALUE DERIVED

As part of Advancing San Diego’s software and business cohorts, Benchmark Labs hosted six interns to support its business and software work, saving the company $38,940 in wages and recruitment costs.

To date, Advancing San Diego has placed 93 student-interns in innovative local businesses, with $455,000 in total wages and support services paid to students at no cost to company hosts. Read more about the experiences of Benchmark Labs interns Oderah Ahiligwo and Jo Christian Arenas on our blog.

EDC provided regulatory support and facilitated processes with state and local government agencies, which made it possible for Benchmark Labs to have a smooth legal transition to its new corporate headquarters in the San Diego region. With the move, the company plans to hire two sales representatives, a software engineer, data scientist, and field tech in San Diego.

“We are very grateful to EDC for their support during our company relocation. Advancing San Diego’s Internship Program connected us to student interns in software engineering and business research, who have made us a better company by bringing new voices and experiences to solve our technical challenges. We’re now proud to call San Diego home.”

—Carlos Gaitan, CEO and Co-Founder, Benchmark Labs