Cannae Partners Acquires Showplace Square Lab Building for $8.4 Million
San Francisco real estate firm Cannae Partners has purchased 1155 Bryant St., a lab-equipped building in Showplace Square, for approximately $8.4 million according to city tax records, as the firm expands its portfolio targeting hard tech companies like robotics and drone developers. The deal adds to a growing local footprint dedicated to specialized industrial spaces.
Buyout firm Francisco Partners is in advanced talks to acquire a controlling stake in construction software maker Command Alkon for as much as $1.3 billion, a sign that investors still see value in sector-specific software. https://t.co/v4uUXkOSR1
The newly acquired building previously sold in 2020 for $18.3 million before being seized by its lender. Mark Geisreiter and Charlie Withers from real estate firm Newmark worked with Cannae on 1155 Bryant St. and will assist in filling the 30,000-square-foot facility. The address formerly housed lab-grown meat company Mission Barns and, prior to that, vape company Juul.
Hard Science Tenants Drive PDR Real Estate Demand
Commercial space leased by robotics companies in 2026 surpassed the cumulative total recorded between 2020 and 2025, according to data from JLL. Jamin Seid, cofounder of Cannae Partners, noted that technology companies working on hard science require specific architectural features.
These tenants need spaces equipped with high ceilings, dedicated loading zones, and above-standard power and HVAC systems. “They need spaces where they’re able to design and tinker with their products,” Seid stated. “There’s just not a lot of space in San Francisco where you can do that kind of work.”
Cannae focuses specifically on buildings designated for production, distribution, and repair (PDR) use cases. “The demand for space is really accelerating right now,” Seid added.
Ten Months of Expansion Across South Beach and Dogpatch
Over the last ten months, Cannae has purchased two other properties suited for hardware development. The firm acquired 340 Bryant St. in South Beach for about $10 million in December. Just one month after that purchase, circuit board manufacturer Flux AI leased 60% of the building.
The firm also added 790 Pennsylvania Ave. in Dogpatch to its portfolio. Seid indicated that Cannae is currently in the process of buying a fourth building and continues to search for additional opportunities to expand its holdings.
Seid and his partner, Bob Basso, launched Cannae in 2010. The firm takes its name from the Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C., when Carthaginian general Hannibal led troops to an unexpected victory against the much larger Roman army. To date, the firm has purchased more than 1.8 million square feet of Bay Area real estate.
“If you’re going to make a big scientific breakthrough, I’d love if it happened at one of our buildings,” Seid said regarding the search for a new tenant to fill the vacant Bryant Street facility.
