A Hamden software startup founded in 2015 by two Quinnipiac University alumni is the newest addition to the Elm City’s growing downtown tech corridor.
Checkmate Digital, a company that designs software for other startups, joined city officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate its new headquarters at 142 Temple St.
After starting out with three employees designing websites and logos for local businesses, the company expanded into developing custom software for new companies in fields like micro-finance, virtual reality, health tech and others. It currently has 16 employees and is hiring, city officials said.
Cofounders Tom Nassr and Matt Cameron said they launched Checkmate to meet the demand for creative and technical services that help the region’s entrepreneurs transform their ideas into impactful products. They felt New Haven was an ideal place to fulfill that mission and grow their company.
“The entrepreneurial community is growing quickly in the Elm City, but often struggles to find the developers and designers needed to truly thrive,” said Nassr, the company’s CEO. “Checkmate Digital is filling that role for New Haven and is helping to establish a ‘tech corridor’ downtown along with Square 9, Launch Capital and SeeClickFix, among other companies.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy recognized the startup as an “Innovator of the Month” last August. At the time, he said the company had doubled both its revenues and the size of its workforce within the last year.
New Haven Mayor Toni Harp congratulated the company Thursday on its “fast success.” “The city of New Haven values the ingenuity and creativity that you bring to our community and the work you provide to help businesses grow,” she said.
Natalie Missakian can be reached at news@newhavenbiz.com
