A Year of Growth in Lisbon
It has been just over a year since Cloudflare opened its Lisbon office, and the operation has expanded considerably since those first days. What started with a dozen transplants from the UK, US, and Singapore has grown to 35 employees, with another ten offers already accepted. The company intends to keep scaling, targeting roughly 80 people in Lisbon by the end of 2020.
The initial reasoning for choosing Lisbon still holds up for the most part: a solid existing tech ecosystem, welcoming immigration policies, political stability, a high standard of living, and practical logistics like the UK time zone and direct flights to San Francisco. The one exception has been air travel itself. The pandemic grounded business flying for Cloudflare worldwide, so those direct flights have not seen much use this year.
Three Offices in Twelve Months
Lisbon's rapid expansion meant three different spaces in a single year. The original office in Chiado was sized for about 14 people. In February, the team moved to a temporary location on Avenida da Liberdade that could accommodate roughly 25. By early April, they transitioned to a longer-term office on Praça Marquês de Pombal.
That final move happened during Portugal’s State of Emergency, so the relocation was completed while the office sat empty. The space is ready and waiting for the team to return in early 2021.
Beyond the Founding Team
The initial Lisbon group spanned Customer Support, Security, IT, Technology, and Emerging Technology and Incubation. Since then, the office has diversified. The current roster also includes people in SRE, Payroll, Accounting, Trust and Safety, People and Places, Product Management, and Infrastructure.
That momentum continues despite the pandemic. Cloudflare currently lists 24 open roles in Lisbon across Customer Support, Infrastructure, Engineering, Security, Business Intelligence, Product Management, and other departments. The stated goal, repeated by leadership in an interview with AICEP earlier this year, is to make Lisbon one of Cloudflare’s major offices.
The Local Perspective
The pause in frequent travel has offered an extended stay in Lisbon. Members of the team have had time to identify their favorite parts of living there, with responses ranging from routine pleasures like pasteis de nata, daily sunshine, and jacaranda trees, to practical advantages like fast and inexpensive internet. Others pointed to the quality produce, nearby beaches in Setubal, Sintra, Cascais, and Sesimbra, and the general family-friendly atmosphere for raising children.
Lisbon has also attracted workers from other departments as Cloudflare’s broader organization becomes more aware of what the city offers. With the office now in place and more hires in progress, the company’s commitment to the location looks set to continue as part of its larger growth strategy.
