AI startup Notion secures major downtown lease in San Francisco

AI startup Notion expands in downtown San Francisco: The productivity and collaboration platform has signed a major lease for office space, signaling a shift in its fortunes and contributing to the city’s evolving tech landscape.

• Notion has secured a 105,000-square-foot lease at the Monadnock Building at 685 Market St., owned by Brookfield Properties.
• The company will occupy five floors for the next decade, with options to expand within the building.
• This new lease replaces Notion’s previous 65,000-square-foot office in the Mission District, which it had subleased in 2021.

Notion’s journey and growth: The company has experienced a remarkable turnaround since nearly failing in 2015, now positioning itself as a leader in the productivity software space.

• In 2015, Notion was forced to lay off employees and relocate to Japan to cut costs.
• By 2021, the company had achieved a valuation of $10 billion, backed by notable investors.
• Notion launched an artificial intelligence assistant last year, further expanding its capabilities and market position.

Impact on San Francisco’s office market: Notion’s expansion is part of a broader trend of AI companies investing in downtown office space, potentially revitalizing the struggling real estate market.

• San Francisco’s office vacancy rate has reached a historic high of over 37% this year.
• Many established tech companies have reduced their real estate footprints in the past four years.
• AI firms, including OpenAI, Scale AI, and Anthropic, have recently signed significant leases in various parts of the city.

The Monadnock Building’s transformation: Notion’s lease marks a turning point for the nearly century-old building, which has faced challenges in recent years.

• The building’s office space has been largely empty for the past five years.
• It was previously occupied by Uber, which listed it for sublease in 2019 before moving to its new Mission Bay headquarters.
• Brookfield Properties had undertaken renovations but struggled to find tenants until now.

Broader context of San Francisco’s real estate market: While AI companies are providing a boost, experts caution that the city’s office market still faces significant challenges.

• The growth in the AI sector has begun to uplift the city’s real estate market by creating demand for space and attracting capital.
• However, real estate experts agree that San Francisco’s office market faces a long road to recovery.
• Big new lease commitments, like Notion’s, remain relatively rare in the current market conditions.

Analyzing the implications: Notion’s expansion and the broader trend of AI companies investing in downtown San Francisco suggest a potential shift in the city’s tech ecosystem.

• The move highlights the growing importance of AI-driven companies in the tech industry and their potential to revitalize urban office spaces.
• It also underscores the resilience of some tech firms, like Notion, which have managed to rebound from near-failure to become major players in their respective markets.
• While these developments are promising for San Francisco’s real estate market, it remains to be seen whether they can offset the broader trend of office space reduction by more established tech companies and lead to a sustained recovery in the downtown area.