Israeli tech company selects St. Louis for US headquarters

Business development group GlobalSTL recruits Atomation to St. Louis to work with Ameren and other local corporations

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Jan 27, 2017, 13:10 ET

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GlobalSTL, a BioSTL initiative to attract companies that create high-growth economic activity for St. Louis, has recruited Israeli tech company Atomation to St. Louis where the company will work on a special pilot project for Ameren. Atomation is the fifth Israeli company recruited by GlobalSTL to locate its U.S. headquarters in St. Louis.

From left: Vijay Chauhan, GlobalSTL lead, BioSTL; Guy Weitzman, CEO, Atomation; Donn Rubin, president and CEO, BioSTL; Missouri Governor Eric Greitens and Warner Baxter, chairman, president and CEO, Ameren Corporation.

"We are delighted to welcome Atomation to St. Louis," said Donn Rubin, president & CEO of BioSTL. "By leveraging St. Louis' strengths, we are able to recruit companies like Atomation that enrich our community with cutting-edge technology and talent, boosting St. Louis' standing as a global center of innovation."

GlobalSTL worked closely with Ameren to recruit Atomation to St. Louis. Atomation will develop a pilot program for Ameren that connects utility poles to the internet by installing small, low-cost sensor packs on dozens of Ameren's utility poles. The packs will help Ameren remotely monitor the integrity and health of the poles, which will allow the company to pinpoint issues in real time and respond more quickly and efficiently to any problems or customer concerns. The program is being conducted at Ameren Illinois' Technology Applications Center (TAC) in Champaign, Illinois, a testing facility dedicated to innovation and smart-grid improvement.

"Developing innovative technologies to deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy to our customers is a top priority for Ameren and is consistent with our mission to power the quality of life," said Warner Baxter, chairman and CEO of Ameren Corporation and board chair of the St. Louis Regional Chamber. "We are proud to support regional economic development, we value our partnership with GlobalSTL, and we look forward to working closely with Atomation on this important pilot program."

Atomation CEO Guy Weitzman will come to St. Louis to establish the company's U.S. headquarters near its growing customer base. Also, he has recruited local talent to further scale the company's presence, creating approximately 20 new jobs.

"Compared to other U.S. regions, St. Louis has a hunger for innovation and an authentic will to implement new, practical technologies and processes," said Weitzman. "Thanks to GlobalSTL's relationships and their business development expertise, we've been connected to St. Louis clients in the agriculture, industrial automation and energy sectors with crucial technology needs – and where there are real needs, there is business potential."

The decision by Atomation reinforces St. Louis as a global innovation center and a destination for startups.

"My number one priority is bringing quality jobs to Missouri families. Atomation's decision to locate its U.S. headquarters in Missouri shows what tremendous economic growth opportunities we have," said Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. "I'm proud to welcome Atomation to Missouri, and I'm glad that they share our mission to create jobs and grow our state."

Atomation's St. Louis-based clients include Ameren, Dynaquip, and Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, among others.

About GlobalSTL
GlobalSTL, an initiative of BioSTL, attracts to St. Louis the U.S. presence of high-growth international companies by creating strategic business opportunities with St. Louis' corporations, healthcare systems, and universities. GlobalSTL targets cutting-edge companies that match St. Louis' strengths in the energy sector, ag and plant science, medical and human health, cyber security, financial technology, and food and nutrition. GlobalSTL leverages the collective strengths of the St. Louis ecosystem to identify, attract, and nurture companies for long-term growth in the region. For more information, visit www.GlobalSTL.org.

BioSTL builds the foundation for science, innovation, and entrepreneurial success that is transforming the St. Louis economy. Follow the company on Twitter at @BioSTL. For more information, visit www.BioSTL.com.

About Atomation
Atomation was founded in 2014 by entrepreneurs Guy Weitzman (CEO) and Eran Keshet (CTO) with a view to easily connect any object to the internet. Atomation's robust IoT (Internet of Things) platform comprises hardware solutions, a mobile SDK and cloud-based big data analytics. Powered by a team of 15 experienced developers from various backgrounds, Atomation "connects" companies from the energy, agriculture, industrial and medical industries. For more information, visit www.atomation.net.

About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric distribution and transmission service, as well as natural gas distribution service, while Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with generating capacity of over 10,200 megawatts, and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. Follow the company on Twitter @AmerenCorp. For more information, visit www.Ameren.com.

SOURCE Ameren Corporation