Photo / Courtesy Danielle Sykes
From left, John Harrington, Torey Penrod-Cambr and Tony Paine founded HighByte in 2018.
Updated: 4 hours ago
Portland industrial software startup HighByte doubles space to accommodate growth
Photo / Courtesy Joshua Langlais
During a reception at HighByte’s new headquarters at 163 Fore St., employees mingle on the rooftop deck, which is available to all building tenants.
Soon after raising $12 million in a Series A funding round and with a staff that’s tripled since 2021 and is on track for continued growth, Portland industrial-software startup HighByte Inc. moved to a larger space that provides flexibility and is even seen as a recruitment tool.
HighByte leased 2,618 square feet of office space, on the fourth floor at 163 Fore St. in downtown Portland’s East End, from 167 Fore Street LLC.
The transaction was arranged of behalf of the tenant by Cameron Foster of the Boulos Co. and on behalf of the landlord by Jack Baumann of Compass Commercial Brokers.
“It was truly a pleasure working with Cameron Foster of the Boulos Co., Lisa Whited and Creative Office Resources on this important move for HighByte,” said Torey Penrod-Cambra, who co-founded the company with John Harrington and Tony Paine.
Whited and Creative Office Resources, both with offices in Portland, provide workplace design services.
“I think we’ve created a space where employees can both focus and collaborate with ease — whether they are in the office or remote,” said Penrod-Cambra. “And the neighborhood is pretty great too.”
Located at the corner of Fore and Hancock streets, the six-story building was built in 2008 and is situated close to national and local retail and office tenants, restaurants, parking and hotels, according to Compass Commercial Brokers’ listing.
The building was an addition to the Ocean Gateway parking garage.
Nearby hotels
The spot nailed the company’s requirements, said Foster.
“It worked out to be double the square footage they were in,” he said.
The space features floor-to-ceiling glass and access to the rooftop, providing a pleasant spot for outdoor work and for events, Foster noted.
Another advantage is nearby hotels, providing convenient accommodations for remote workers when they travel in for corporate gatherings and for clients.
Photo / Courtesy Compass Commercial Brokers
Located at the corner of Fore and Hancock streets, the six-story building was built in 2018.
“It also has water views,” he added.
HighByte moved about a mile to its new digs from a building in the Bayside neighborhood called the Public Works, at 52 Alder St., where its lease would be up by the end of October.
“The space didn’t meet all our needs,” said Penrod-Cambra.
Recruitment tool
“We were looking at a space as a recruitment tool,” said Paine.
These days, he said, many employees expect to have the option to work in the office or remotely. About two-thirds of HighByte’s workforce is in Maine; the rest are across the U.S. in 10 states. The mission was to find a place that provided a pleasant, productive environment for existing employees, with lots of light and the ability to go out and hit a restaurant or two.
Photo / Courtesy HighByte
One of two soundproof glass meeting pods is seen at right.
Proximity to hotels was critical, so whenever the company has guests or remote employees in town, they can be nearby.
“And the hotels allow us to expand when needed,” Paine said. “Given that we’re a hybrid company, we didn’t want to lease so much space that we’re vacant half the year. We can walk across street to the conference room for a full company meeting as needed.”
Growth plan
Launched in August 2018, HighByte’s software helps manufacturers collect and model raw industrial data generated from the plant floor and transform it into ready-to-use information. Customers are mid-sized to large global manufacturers producing industrial products, consumer packaged goods and pharmaceuticals.
Photo / Courtesy HighByte
Features include floor-to-ceiling glass and proximity to hotels.
By 2021, the company had 13 employees. It’s up to 37 today, with 25 based in Maine, most in Greater Portland, with some coming to the office five days a week and others less frequently. Out-of-state employees visit the office fairly frequently.
The growth plan for 2025 is to hire at least 10 more employees, with a goal to end the year with 47 full-time employees, said Paine.
The space was pretty much move-in ready .The company took a modular approach to the set-up so work spaces can be moved around. There’s one private office that’s shareable and needs to be booked in advance.
Features include height-adjustable workstations, dual monitors and two soundproof glass meeting pods that sit up to four people. A conference room has integrated audio-visual components that allows remote participants to interact with the whole team.
The neighborhood
The larger story comes down to the neighborhood, said Penrod-Cambra.
“I think there is a bigger story here about the neighborhood and how the tech scene is changing in Maine,” she said. “These few blocks have become the epicenter of tech in southern Maine with established players, startups and institutions advancing AI/analytics.”
All within about a block radius, she noted, that includes health sciences company Covetrus, engineering firm Woodard & Curran, Onpoint Health Data and fiber management system provider Vetro, all among the tenants at 12 Mountfort St.; financial technology provider WEX Inc. at 1 Hancock St.; and the Roux Institute in rented space at 100 Fore St.
“A lot of tech-based companies have moved into the area over the last five to seven years,” said Paine. “It’s definitely a growing tech hub in Portland — which is fun to be part of.”
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