Managed by Q launches in Chicago, Uber and BucketFeet among first clients

by Adam Calica
April 16, 2015

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Managed by Q, a startup that created an operating system for the physical space, announced today it's launching its private beta in Chicago after doubling its client base in six months in New York.

Founded in 2013 and first launched in April 2014, Managed by Q operates through a wall-mounted iPad in a given office space. From that platform, office managers can easily coordinate a variety of on-demand services, including furniture assembly, IT troubleshooting, HVAC installation, and painting.

In addition, office managers can easily track and request supplies, leave feedback, and use FaceTime for live support. Ultimately, the service saves time and allows office employees to focus on work rather than the workspace. Managed by Q has 150 employees between its two markets, has month-over-month revenue growth of 20 percent, and operates in a total of one million square feet of office space.

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According to co-founder Dan Teran, Managed by Q is in conversation with a couple dozen potential clients in Chicago and is set to work in the Uber and BucketFeet offices.

Teran said Managed by Q conducted a quantitative analysis of possible new markets, ranking 50 U.S. metro areas by economy size, square footage of commercial real estate, public transit and other factors. He said Chicago scored highly, though not right at the top, which prompted them to consider softer factors.

Everything Managed by Q learned from that point on, made Chicago more and more exciting, Teran said.

“We found there’s also just really exceptional talent working in tech in Chicago,” Teran said. “So that, combined with the growth and the fact that there is a vibrant technology industry here  — and those tend to be our early adopters — just made it a real easy fit.”

Furthermore, Teran said Managed by Q has a strong emphasis on creating good jobs, evidenced by the fact that they hire the cleaners, handymen, and assistants as employees, rather than independent contractors.

Thus, Chicago’s historical links to labor also appealed to the company, Teran said.

“Over 100 years ago, labor unrest in Chicago gave birth to labor movements with the idea that they could make the world work better,” he said. “And we very much have that same philosophy.”

Now out of beta in New York, Managed by Q is also opening a local headquarters in Chicago. Teran said the Chicago team is made up of seven persons right now, and it is working out of a River North restaurant space formerly occupied by Zocalo. He said the team will move into its official office space in May. Colin Kelahan, formerly with Caviar, is the Chicago GM. 

Seasoned startup gurus from Yahoo, Groupon and Belly have joined the Managed by Q team for its launch in Chicago, Teran said, adding the launch will be a good measuring stick.

“For us this is definitely a really great trial. We’ve been working for probably the last six months on creating an operational playbook that will allow us to open up new markets,” he said. “I think probably the biggest goal for Chicago is to test our playbook and to really kind of nail the art of launching a market that isn’t New York, because a lot changes when you’re outside of your home market.”

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