Download the First Quarter 2008 East Bay Office Market Report

The third quarter of 2007 was an exciting time for Aegis Realty Partners. Matt Elmquist completed a long lease negotiation representing Amyris Biotechnologies; a thriving life-science company based in Emeryville focused on clean energy. Matt’s relationship with Amyris dates back to the initial pioneering days of the founders: Dr. Kinkead Reiling, Dr. Jack Newman, Dr. Jay Keasling and Dr. Neil Renninger. The company was newly formed and growing out of the University California Berkeley. Matt was able to find the company a small lab within Wareham’s biotechnology focused project, Emerystation North. Each year the company was experiencing growth and the need for expansion space. What started as 5,000 square feet quickly became 10,000 square feet and another growth in 2006 spurred the company into 22,000 square feet. By early 2007 it became clear that Amyris was going to need more space. After searching the East Bay it was determined that Wareham’s new state-of-the-art life science building was going to be the best solution. The building is located adjacent to the company’s current location and offers Amyris the ability to design a highly improved lab space. Amyris, waiting on second round venture funding, began lease negotiations and was able to sign a 70,690 square foot deal with Wareham Development prior to funding.

“Essentially the landlord was committed to the deal before the financing was in place. We were all moving forward under the guise of ‘we will finance this later,’” stated Matt Elmquist. Just a month after signing the deal, Amyris raised $70 million in financing and is currently planning on expansion into an additional 20,000 square feet.

Matt is no beginner when it comes to receiving awards of this nature. In 2005 Matt Elmquist was recognized with “Deal of the Year” for a lease completed at 555 12th Street in Oakland, representing Ask.com (formerly known as ‘Ask Jeeves’). He has also been featured as “Real Estate Heavy Hitter” numerous times. Matt joined Aegis Realty Partners in 1996. He and his partner Scott Stone, focus on tenant representation and investment sales.