SAN FRANCISCO—Software as a Service (“SaaS”) startup Optimizely Inc. has signed a new 55,977-square foot lease at 631 Howard Street in San Francisco's South of Market district. The lease includes immediate occupation of 36,000 square feet of tri-level space with an additional 19,977-square foot must-take extension in 2014. The combined leases will eventually provide space for up to 450 employees. The leasing deal was brokered by Cushman & Wakefield's Jon Dishotsky, a former high school football teammate and friend of one of Optimizely's founders, Dan Siroker.

Dishotsky, who specializes in representing technology clients of all sizes, has worked closely with Optimizely since the company's earliest days operating out of a small conference room with only four employees at 185 Berry Street in San Francisco. Since then, Dishotsky has helped Optimizely find office space in locations ranging from a live/work loft on 3^rd Street to the company's current home in the historic House of Shields building on New Montgomery Street in downtown San Francisco.

“A year ago we were a team of 13, having just moved into a new office in downtown San Francisco,” said Siroker in a statement. “We imagined we had enough space to last us for a while – we were wrong.” The company has 68 current employees and is in the process of hiring up to 50 additional employees this quarter. Optimizely plans to occupy the new Howard Street location in early July 2013.