When Matt Nickolas reflects on the early years of his technology firm, he remembers the thrill of helping shape the commercial internet. He founded Cirrus ABS in the late 1990s after studying at Taylor University, building websites for businesses just as the web was taking off. Then came 2001.

“In 2001 the whole industry just crashed,” Nickolas said. “We were primarily a web development company doing work for a lot of big companies, and we had to downsize to just a handful of people.”

That pivotal moment pushed his company toward the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community (NIIC) and into a new phase of innovation. The firm had operated out of offices across Fort Wayne, but the move to the NIIC gave it flexibility, credibility, and a community of fellow entrepreneurs.

“We said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to reinvent ourselves,’” Nickolas said. “How do we take the technology assets that we’ve created and put those together into more of a product, and take that back to market?”

A Strategic Partner in Transition

The NIIC played a practical and strategic role in helping Cirrus ABS navigate the downturn. “They actually helped us get out of our lease that we were in,” Nickolas said. “There was a big push in the community to get this high-tech incubator going, and they were able to pull some strings and get us involved.”

From there, the company began a steady climb. It started in the NIIC’s original Raytheon complex, moved to the main building, then expanded into the Emerging Growth Center to build a 10,000-square-foot facility. After the pandemic, Cirrus adjusted again, transitioning to a hybrid model and scaling back its physical footprint — all while maintaining its partnership with the NIIC.

“Having office space that was very flexible allowed us to expand when we needed to and contract when we needed to. That was very valuable for us,” he said.

Beyond space, the NIIC offered something equally important: credibility. “Meeting clients at the NIIC, with a receptionist and amazing conference rooms, gave smaller businesses the ability to appear much larger,” Nickolas said. “It provided a lot of credibility, especially back in the day when business was done more face to face.”

A Community of Innovators

Nickolas said the NIIC’s collaborative environment was equally valuable. Surrounded by other growing tech companies — including Aptera and other early-stage ventures — Cirrus benefited from the daily exchange of ideas and insights.

“Being around other business-minded people was very helpful,” he said. “Just having conversations with people like Dr. Daryl Yost, Ramon Wright, Mike Fritsch, and others was always great. It’s hard to say one thing made the biggest difference, but all those discussions and that mindset of innovation and growth mattered.”

Those relationships, he said, often challenged his thinking. “Being part of a community is huge,” Nickolas said. “You can get caught in your own echo chamber of thought, and to have somebody else outside your situation challenge that — or give you new ideas — is super valuable as an entrepreneur.”

Over the years, Cirrus ABS also hosted events within the NIIC’s facilities, including social media lunch-and-learns that brought local businesses together. “It was a great gathering conference center in our community,” he said.

Reinvention and Growth

Even as Cirrus ABS became a national company with a distributed workforce, the NIIC remained an anchor for its operations. “We started here, built to this amazing facility we had, and then came back,” he said. “It’s been an amazing ride.”

Looking Ahead: Innovation and AI

As the NIIC celebrates 25 years of innovation, Nickolas credits the organization — and Fort Wayne’s broader entrepreneurial network — for helping lay the foundation for regional growth. His company helped create websites for major civic institutions, including the Memorial Coliseum, the Fort Wayne Komets, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.

“It’s been amazing to see how Fort Wayne has evolved,” he said. “There was a time when downtown Fort Wayne was quiet. Now, it’s one of the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest. It’s truly amazing.”

Nickolas believes the next wave of opportunity lies in helping businesses harness new technologies like artificial intelligence. He also sees marketing education as a key need for emerging entrepreneurs.

 “In my experience, the vast majority of businesses fail because they don’t have enough opportunities coming in,” he said. “Helping organizations put together a solid and repeatable marketing process could really help the next generation of businesses coming in.”

After more than two decades of partnership with the NIIC, Nickolas remains grateful for the impact the NIIC has had on his company’s growth and longevity.

“I don’t think we’d be where we are without them,” he said. “We appreciate everything they’ve done — and we hope the NIIC continues to thrive into the future.”

To learn more about Cirrus ABS, visit https://www.cirrusabs.com/.