CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- In 2011, three people started a small tech company in Charlottesville. Now, WillowTree has 1,100 employees and 13 facilities worldwide.

TELUS International acquired WillowTree for $1.2 billion, which is the largest tech acquisition in Charlottesville history.

WillowTree is a digital product agency that got big after making HBO's first streaming app, and it has worked on countless projects since.

President Tobias Dengel said WillowTree decided to work with TELUS International because of its commitment to respecting one another and its clients.

This deal will bring tremendous growth, and Dengel said Charlottesville will remain at the center of what WillowTree does.

"A differentiator for us is incredible talent, and places like Charlottesville have amazing talent, whether it's affiliated with the university system or not it's just a place where people want to live. And, at the end of the day, we're about attracting the best and the brightest, and there's no place like Charlottesville to do that," he said.

TELUS International brings 600 clients for WillowTree. Dengel said the company's growth will increase exponentially, and it may even double the size of its facility at Woolen Mills.