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The Baltimore technology incubator Betamore plans to open a second location at the City Garage in Port Covington, as part of a broader push to increase education programming and workforce development efforts in the space.
Sagamore Ventures, the venture capital arm of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's private investment firm, has brought Betamore on to operate and manage programs in the building, said Betamore CEO Jen Meyer. The company announced the plans at its Christmas party Thursday.
Betamore, which started in 2012, is expected to move into its new 8,000-square-foot space in City Garage in mid-2017, according to a news release. The nonprofit's new location is expected to include about 60 new desks, private offices and two conference rooms.
Sagamore Development, Plank's real estate firm, reopened the former bus depot last year as a "startup hub." The building houses the Under Armour innovation unit known as the Lighthouse, companies that Plank has invested in that make products ranging from motorized skateboards to tote bags and the Foundery makerspace.
It is one of the first buildings to open in Port Covington, where Sagamore Development plans a massive redevelopment next to a new Under Armour campus.
"Through this partnership we will lead the management and operations of Main Street at City Garage, activating the new space with the companies and educational opportunities Betamore is known for," Meyer said in a statement. "In our current Federal Hill location we are at maximum capacity with our educational offerings and need ways to expand our reach."
Betamore, which previously collaborated with Sagamore Ventures to host the Beta City tech event, will offer its programs, including mentorship and coding classes, at the new location. The nonprofit also will work with the Foundery to develop classes tied to its manufacturing tools.
"We're going to be covering the full soup to nuts of what we would call a company's evolution," Meyer said.
Sagamore Development committed to job training initiatives as part of its bid to win public financing for infrastructure in Port Covington. A spokeswoman for Plank Industries said Betamore may be involved in some of those efforts as well.