California retail tech firm opens Crossroads office, hiring 20

Retail technology firm  PriceSpider is citing the area’s vibrant tech community as the reason behind rooting a new office in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, PriceSpider said the burgeoning startup community, deep pool of tech talent and Google Fiber’s arrival in 2012 helped push the company to choose the City of Fountains. The firm’s new office is located at 1712 Main St., alongside such tech firms as Think Big Partners and Code Koalas.

Anthony Ferry

Evaluating several tech hubs in the U.S., PriceSpider also appreciated Kansas City’s central location, said CEO and co-founder Anthony Ferry.

“It made sense to establish a Midwest presence that can provide support to clients on the East Coast and in America’s heartland,” Ferry said. “We are happy to join so many rapidly growing technology companies as well as global brand manufacturers such as Honeywell, General Motors and Ford Motor Company in making Kansas City a second home.”

PriceSpider provides its customers with insights into consumer purchasing behavior by using proprietary “spidering” technology that collects a wide range of data from thousands of e-commerce sites. Its “Where to Buy” product integrates with manufacturers’ websites to capture conversion data while giving shoppers access to online and local retailers. The company’s “Channel Reports” tool keeps tabs on competitors, monitoring their prices and view their reviews.

The company now partners with such brands as Activision, Bayer, Canon, LG, Nikon, Samsung, Stanley Black+Decker and more.

Kansas City’s startup community is reminiscent of southern California’s early days, Ferry said. That innovative spirit should help the company build the best products, he added.

“The up-and-coming tech startup scene in Kansas City in many ways mirrors the tech startup scene of decades past in Orange County, California,” Ferry said. “Being in touch with the technology companies at the forefront of so many initiatives in Kansas City is just one more tactic to keep us on the cutting edge. We look forward to connecting with the local area’s tech visionaries.”  

The Kansas City branch is the company’s second office, where it plans to hire 20 people. Founded in 2004, PriceSpider now has 80 employees.

PriceSpider is looking to hire senior software engineers with experience in Go, Node.js and C# as well as  proficiency in Linux, relational databases and NoSQL databases. PriceSpider is also looking for product and client support roles at the Kansas City office.