Sam Altman Plans Expansion of His AI Startup at San Francisco Waterfront

Sam Altman, one of the founders of OpenAI, is getting ready to build out his artificial intelligence-focused company, World, on the San Francisco waterfront. The business, which was once known as Worldcoin, is nearing an agreement to lease office space in a recently constructed Mission Rock neighborhood.

Protecting Space in the Prime Office

World is close to signing a lease for around 60,000 square feet of office space in Building B, a 295,000-square-foot commercial building at 1090 Dr. Maya Angelou Lane, according to people familiar with the talks. The startup is allegedly in negotiations to take up residence on the upper two levels of the building. The San Francisco Giants and developer Tishman Speyer jointly control the 28-acre mixed-use Mission Rock property.

Key Stakeholders’ Silence

Tishman Speyer chose not to comment on the situation and refused to confirm any leasing deal with World. In addition, World has not yet answered questions about the possible agreement.

The Growing Presence of OpenAI in the Region

The action comes after OpenAI’s significant growth in the same area throughout the previous two years. In October 2023, OpenAI negotiated a sublease from Uber for 486,600 square feet of office space at 1455 Third St. and 1515 Third St. in Mission Bay, which included more than 800,000 square feet otherwise. Late last year, the business also completed a 315,000-square-foot lease at 550 Terry Francois Blvd., close to the Uber towers.

Mission Rock: An Expanding Technology Center

Mission Rock is a key location for World because of its close proximity to OpenAI’s Mission Bay offices. Although only the first phase of the Mission Rock project has been finished, the full project is expected to feature 1,000 residential units, 1.4 million square feet of office and life science space, and more.

World Becomes a Tenant on an Esteemed List

World, renowned for incorporating AI technology into iris-scanning cryptocurrency solutions for a worldwide identification network, will join other well-known tenants at Mission Rock if the lease arrangement is confirmed. The Golden State Warriors, Capgemini, and Visa, which moved its offices to a 300,000-square-foot tower at 300 Toni Stone Crossing, have already reserved space in the construction.

Altman’s most recent expansion move solidifies the Mission Rock neighborhood’s standing as a vibrant innovation cluster and highlights the growing interest of AI and technology companies in the area.