WhatsApp Will Expand Its Office Space By 700% With New Lease

According to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, the instant messaging app just leased 250 Bryant Street in Mountain View, a 78,000-square-foot building currently under construction.

That's almost eight times as big as the company's current home, the 11,000-square-foot office at 303 Bryant.

The news comes just months after the company leased a 20,000-square-foot building at 900 Villa Street, around the corner.

The real estate grab is a sign of some serious growth to come. WhatsApp had fewer than 60 employees when it was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion in February. The space at 250 Bryant could potentially have space for 400 workers.

"[It] reminds me of Brody's comment to Quint in 'Jaws,'" IDC analyst John Jackson said to the Silicon Valley Business Journal. "It's the proverbial, 'We're gonna need a bigger boat.'

WhatsApp now has more than 500 million active users.

"They're hurtling toward a billion people on the basis of 55 brains," Jackson said. "That math, at some level, is going to need some help. Especially if they're thinking, 'What else can I do and layer on.'"

Construction started at 250 Bryant in October 2013, and it's expected to be completed in 2015. A huge rooftop patio and 11,000 square feet of outdoor work space are among the planned amenities.