Green energy company Bulb has continued it’s expansion, opening a new office in Brighton as it welcomes a new chief technology officer (CTO).
The move creates 30 news jobs that will be based in the coworking space PLATF9RM in Brighton, bring the total number of new hires by the company since the beginning of lockdown in March to 200.
Energy specialists and data scientists will work from the new office, with team members hired from the recently closed Brighton-based energy company Toto Energy, as part of a commitment to local recruitment.
The expansion follows the company moving into the US market at the end of September, launching in Texas. It is aiming to provide 100 million members with entirely renewable energy by 2030.
Hayden Wood, co-founder and CEO of Bulb, highlighted that since the company was started in 2015, it has already grown to provide power to over 1.7 million homes across the UK, Spain, France and Texas.
“The demand for 100% renewable electricity and carbon neutral gas is only continuing and we know that, by investing in Brighton, we’re able to tap into the city’s pool of creative talent, grow our team and bring lower bills and lower carbon emissions to more and more people around the world.”
To further support the company’s expansion, John Marshall has been hired as CTO to work closely with the Brighton office to develop new technologies and products.
He is joining the company from car sharing platform Getaround, which has over five million users worldwide, where he was VP of product and engineering. This meant he oversaw product development and management, design, engineering, data science and the business intelligence teams.
Marshall said: “Bulb has proven itself as an innovative business in an industry that’s in need of new technology, tools and services. I’m excited to build on the technology already in place at Bulb and launch new products that make energy simpler and cheaper for our members while reducing their carbon footprint.”
He is the latest of a series of new hires to have joined Bulb, including Lis Blair who recently started as chief growth and marketing officer at the company. She is overseeing Bulb’s growth and marketing functions.
Wood added that he was pleased to welcome Marshall to the senior leadership team.
“Over the past five years, Bulb’s seen impressive growth and we’re ready for another year of success as we continue to expand our service globally and reach more households. John’s experience as a technology leader will help us on our journey to reach 100 million members by 2030. I look forward to working with him as we continue to bring simpler, cheaper, greener energy to homes around the world.”
The opening of Bulb’s Brighton office follows competitor Octopus Energy opening an office in the city in September, along with announcing an innovation centre in Manchester this week.
