New partner added to Ashburn ‘smart city’ project

22 Capital Partners announced Monday that it has added FedBid Inc. as a technology partner in its 22 CityLink platform, which is developing a “smart city” in Loudoun County.

The venture builder and private equity company, based in Chantilly, is developing the Gramercy District at the future Silver Line Ashburn Metro station.

A key component of 22 CityLink’s smart city approach is to reduce total lifecycle costs and create long-term value for citizens of the project by integrating real estate and technology, according to a release from the company.

Vienna-based FedBid is an online reverse auction marketplace. Its online platform will be integrated with 22 CityLink’s overall procurement and supply chain management services.

“It’s exciting to see a major investment in smart city technology in our region, and we are thrilled FedBid is partnering with 22 CityLink to help them optimize the way goods and services are purchased to build Gramercy District,” Ted Leonsis, founder and partner at Revolution Growth, which is an investor in FedBid, said in a statement. “FedBid revolutionized the way the federal government buys goods and services, and this partnership will help set the standard for the development of future smart cities.”

FedBid joins Microsoft, Avaya, George Washington University, the Center for Innovative Technology and other partners as CityLink continues to develop its smart city technology platform. Once completed, the platform will be called The Future of Living.

The Gramercy District is a planned, 2.5 million-square-foot, $500 million-plus, mixed-use development. It will be the first smart city in the Washington, D.C., region, and one of the first in the country. The 16.8 acres abuts Route 267. The future Silver Line metro station in Ashburn is expected to open in late 2019.