As Big Tech doubles down on Austin, startups are moving to its cooler neighbor. Take a look at how one startup is bringing Silicon Valley style to East Austin.

The Zebra, a car insurance startup, features shredded insurance documents behind a neon sign in its spacious lobby. Dziabiak told Business Insider that the startup removed "Insurance" from its name after they realized it made recruiting engineers much harder.

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The Zebra's new office in East Austin is four times larger than its previous office in downtown Austin, and features several references to the company's namesake animal throughout the two-floor space.

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The office was built for The Zebra by a local architecture firm called Interior Architects. The light-filled space contrasted with dark walls and industrial elements. A company spokesperson told Business Insider that the design was a step up from the company's first office that "looked like it was designed by a 22-year-old" with graffiti art installations and concrete floors.

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The office interior was designed by Connecticut-based Chrystal Toth Designs. The Zebra cofounder and CEO Adam Lyons worked with Chrystal Toth on his family home in Connecticut — and was so pleased with the result he contracted the firm to work on The Zebra's office.

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There are 40 glass-walled conference rooms with full audiovisual capabilities. Each office is named after a different animal that corresponds to the size of the room. For example, a two-person phone booth was named "Rat," while the largest room was named "Kraken."

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The office currently holds 154 employees with capacity up to 300, and features typical Silicon Valley-style perks like standing desks and an in-house barista.

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Although The Zebra's last office was in the penthouse of an iconic office downtown, a company spokesperson said employees were supportive of the move because of the extra space and abundant natural light.

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The office has several work spaces scattered throughout to promote collaboration, a key feature the team worked with Interior Architecture to create, the spokesperson said. Employees also have access to bike storage and kombucha on tap.

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The fast-growing east side of Austin is only 1.5 miles from downtown, and The Zebra is within walking distance to multiple apartment buildings, breweries, coffee shops, and local transportation.

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Part of the startup's initiative in building a new space was sustainability, a spokesperson said. They brought three large siloes to fill with rainwater which they recycle for use on-site.

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The startup's substantial outdoor space features seating, artificial turf, and grills. But most striking is the mural, commissioned by the company from local muralist Luis Angulo.

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