As a flex space, are you making music or movies?
Over the last 50 or 60 newsletters, it’s become clear that there’s a defining fork coming up in the road for flex spaces regarding their distribution and discovery strategies.
In this short (3-min) read, I share a new analogy to help you start discussions around your own strategies for who you want to reach, or be found by.
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🎉 Coworking celebrations.
🚀 Workbar lands on fastest growing companies list #
Workbar has announced that they have made the Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies list. While landing in the 3,000s, in the real estate category, they hit number 75. Congrats to Sarah Travers and the team across this OG coworking brand!
👉 Read this.
🎂 Workspace turned 8! #
August 7th marked eight years since Justin Moran took over South Shore Business Center and created Workspace. Congrats on expanding from one suite of offices in Hingham, Massachusetts to four locations across the South Shore with over 300 members!
(This was originally meant to show in the W31/23 newsletter, but Hector hit the wrong button. Big congrats again from me, this time in third person!)
👉 Read this.
🏆 3 coworking brands on the 2024 Inc 5000 #
"Companies on the 2024 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over the last three years. They generated 874,940 jobs, $317 billion in revenue, and show where the economy is going."
Within the list are three coworking brands, COhatch (at position 820) who saw a 3-year growth of 605%, Convene at 1135th and up 450%, and Industrious at 3043rd who grew 164%.
👉 Read this.
🎂 Caddo turns 16! #
Tim Slaughter shares that Caddo Office Reimagined is turning 16 years old this month (on 8/25 officially). He also shares some "fun" memories over the years, including making a whopping $1000 in 2009.
👉 Read this.
🎉 CO+HOOTS turned 15 #
CO+HOOTS celebrated turning 15 with a week full of free coworking and an offer for $20 towards a Postmates order for when you’re working at one of their locations. Congrats Jenny Poon, Jaime Munoz and team!
👉 Read this.
✊ Coworking impact.
📙 Introducing the ECA IDEA handbook. #
Bernie Mitchell shares a big post with loads of great resources for workspaces looking to become more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible.
In short, the European Coworking Assembly are releasing a handbook to help workspaces implement IDEA strategies and processes in September, Tash Koster-Thomas facilitates the August 2022 Coworking IDEA challenge, and the Aug 31 Coworking IDEA conversation.
👉 Read this.
👏 Firm awards hundreds of coworking scholarships #
Christy Burns shares that COhatch has now provided over 400 scholarships to non-profits, driving millions of dollars of value through free coworking membership for their local impact-focussed organizations.
The link provides more data noting that the network has awarded 588 nonprofit scholarships, 361 startup scholarships and 60 community partner scholarships totaling $3.4M in value.
👉 Read this.
💭 Some thoughts on 20 years of… us. #
Ashley Proctor from Creative Blueprint (and a whole bunch of other important coworking things, like Coworking Canada) penned her superb reflections on what’s changed – and what should never – on the 20th celebration of International Coworking Day.
"We measure the impact of the coworking movement by the strength and the depth of the waves we are making." Yes!
👉 Read this.
👶 It’s not always (just) about the business model… #
Daniella Briseno Cornue shares how she never set out to start a business, reflecting on what went into building Le Village a coworking space with childcare support.
👉 Read this.
Coworking news & views.
🧮 Could a tool from the bond market decode flex leasing forecasts? #
Sam Gamble from ReturnSuite is back with another (uber-geeky, and always interesting) take on using Markov Chains to model monthly occupancy rates, number of new members forecasted to join or leave, using just 3 pieces of information.
"A Markov Chain is a mathematical model that helps us understand transitions between different states over time, and in the bond market, it’s used to predict the movement of bond ratings."
👉 Read this.
🙋♀️ A plea to coworking spaces: day passes please! #
Chris Lock shares why day-by-day or drop-in or on-demand access is a great idea (for potential coworkers).
It hit a note, or two, or 200… with 216 comments pouring in from operators, booking platforms and other business individuals.
👉 Read this.
🏦 4th largest US retail bank provides coworking operator loan #
Charlie Morris shares how NYC coworking firm Jay Suites is shifting from operator to owner-operator, having secured a $19M loan from Citibank, to buy 8 West 38th Street for $35M.
Why this matters? A lot of operators are exploring (or dreaming about) buying the buildings they operate within. This loan does set some precedent for equity and capital market funding for coworking and related businesses.
👉 Read this.
😱 Have we shifted too far from spaces where serendipity thrives? #
David Walker from CoworkingConsulting.com shares an interesting look at how coworking has, as the industry has evolved, shifted from creating spaces where people connect to a highly commoditized business model – and if it’s too late to shift back (a little) to be able to grow both revenue per square foot AND the rate of serendipitous connections.
👉 Read this.
🖐️ 5 things other spaces are doing better than us #
Evan Preslopsky from Venture X Charlotte shares 5 things he found that other coworking spaces were doing better than they are.
What were they? Increasing meeting room revenue, implementing dynamic pricing, asking for reviews, optimizing SEO and hosting gatherings. I loooove operators sharing when they’re inspired by other operators. Thanks for sharing Evan!
👉 Read this.
⚖️ What factors go into the valuation of a coworking business? #
Clive Dale shares a number of different ways buyers and sellers may use to set the value of a coworking business when it comes to (increasingly popular) M&A transactions. Namely, they run through discounted cash flow, asset value, comparison methodology and a multiple of EBITDA. With the latter being the most popular or dominant methodology.
👉 Read this.
☕️ A look into “work cafes” #
Helga Moreno at Spacebring dives into work cafes, a blend of traditional coffee shops and coworking spaces, their profitability and business models to think about.
👉 Read this.
📖 What the f is “flex space” anyways? #
We often hear discussions around terminology and taxonomies (ie what do words mean and symbolize) within and around coworking space industry. In this short video, Annie Draper, Director of Operations and Corporate Relations at The Square, shares the evolution of "Flex Space" throughout her career and how it’s adapted and evolved to adapt to changing needs of workers.
👉 Read this.
🤖 How to build a coworking lead-generation machine #
Oliver Easton-Hughes from Koho walks through some of the foundations you’ll want to have in place if you’d like to reduce your reliance on broker leads for your flex workspace business.
👉 Read this.
🤔 Does everybody in RE know the model needs to be reinvented? #
Martijn Roordink shares their thoughts on how the RE model must be reinvented. Noting that if owners and operators combined the best of hotel and flex space models they could generate triple their current yields.
I’d love to dig further into this new model, but I do agree with Martijn than integrated ops and tech management will be a huge part of the new model for commercial real estate.
👉 Read this.
🚢 Filling coworking doesn’t have to be so serious #
Paulien Derden shares another fun video from Brain Embassy Antwerp turning the ‘we have aircon’ posts shared across the industry into a meme.
How are you poking-fun at office-y things to get attention in busy busy (doom-filled) social media feeds?
👉 Read this.
👋 Reading this and wondering how to sell to coworking spaces? #
A lot of brands want to sell to coworking spaces. I try tell as many of them as I can that the secret is not selling to, but supporting, coworking spaces.
In this short deck I share how brands can work with me and this very newsletter to grow their businesses through content that busy operators actually want to click on and engage with.
👉 Read this.
🤔 Do tech cos think coworking is too commoditized? #
Daniela Mallarino from Kisi was also wondering if coworking has become too commoditized, with both landlords and operators looking to monetize space more efficiently. For a different set of opinions, she asked some of the platforms in the space for their thoughts.
Alberto Di Risio (Archie) shared thoughts about the impact on member retention, Helga Moreno (Spacebring) looked at challenges of differentiation, and Kelly Karn (Optix) dug into how spaces who do more than standard desks are succeeding.
👉 Read this.
🔮 How well did these coworking predictions from 2016 hold up? #
Nexudus share a fun post digging into some of the predictions their CEO Carlos Almansa Ballesteros made about coworking back in 2016, and looked at how those trends hold up today 7 years later. Spot on were remote work being embraced, corporate coworking, community at the heart, nichification, and tech advances driving innovation.
Carlos, any lottery numbers or stock tips?
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 What are they up to in Islington? #
Anna Chuicharoen, Community Manager at TownSq Islington, shares what is on at the place where magic happens and the way in which they approach the idea of community to impact local people.
👉 Read this.
🏋️♂️ Are gyms the hottest new offices? #
The Wall Street Journal digs into the growing trend of health-focussed and gym-centric shared workspaces, looking primarily at Local Time’s offerings from the eyes of one of their members Jessica DiGiovanna.
Interestingly, the benefits and higher cost outweigh working from home, as she "only goes to her real office for big meetings and other organized events".
👉 Read this.
📝 Hospitality-led workplace design principles #
HUB Australia COO, John Preece emphasizes the importance of hospitality design in corporate spaces, comparing HQ Venues to traditional offices. He highlights the need for social interaction and community building, which often requires additional operational support.
To succeed in a digital and distributed work environment, companies need to rethink their work practices and HR policies, focusing on flexibility and employee experience. This means creating inviting HQ venues that reflect company culture and compete with home and other gathering spaces, rather than just mimicking traditional offices.
👉 Read this.
😳 Similarities between 2019 WeWork and 1996 AOL. #
Paul Stanton shares a nostalgia-inducing comparison between AOL in 1996 and WeWork in around 2019.
I like Paul’s approach to exploring the puzzle pieces We Co tried to pull together for servicing and powering multi-tenancy and multi-family buildings. Especially if we keep in mind that Adam Neumann is about to give it another go with Flow’s recent backing.
👉 Read this.
🗞️ On becoming an essential part of office real estate #
Jason Anderson, President of Vast Coworking Group, shares his perspective on the institutional investment in coworking and why coworking is becoming an essential part of office real estate.
In summary, he points towards governments embracing flex space, franchising as a growth engine, and the surge in enterprise and mid-market demand. He also addresses some the challenges coworking space may face as investment in the sector increases. Always good seeing coworking promoted outside of our echo chamber and in traditional media outlets.
👉 Read this.
📼 What if you could bring your kids to work with you? #
Nestworks shared a video from their recent popup space, from which they proved two important points: 1. There’s demand for childcare + coworking combos. 2. Kids can play happily with caregivers knowing their parents are close by getting sh*t done.
👉 Read this.
💰 Accor raises €4.6B selling hotels, goes asset-light #
French hospitality giant Accor executed a counterintuitive strategy when CEO Sébastien Bazin sold 57.8% of AccorInvest, the company’s real estate arm, to a consortium including PIF, GIC, Crédit Agricole Assurances, and Colony NorthStar in 2018, raising €4.6B in cash. Bazin shifted Accor from the traditional asset-heavy hotel ownership model to an asset-light operator model, reinvesting proceeds into brand acquisitions like Mövenpick (~$567M) and technology platforms.
The strategy separated hotel operations from real estate ownership, enabling accelerated growth and lighter balance sheets while Accor now operates 5000 hotels across 110 countries. The move parallels current diverging strategies in flexible workspace regarding asset-light management models versus traditional real estate ownership strategies.
👉 Read this.
☕️ Venture studio explores payable-table concept for coffee shops #
Paul English shares an idea (and landing page) for PaidTable where coffee shops make tables bookable (as oppose to ‘hogging tables all day’ and nursing a single coffee).
Curious to see how this plays out. But in the meantime, I do love how some coworking spaces have instead chosen to partner with frustrated coffee shop owners to exchange day pass cards for member discounts. Win win, but what if cafés start competing with bookable tables?
👉 Read this.
🧗♀️ Is bouldering the newest UK coworking amenity? #
Jonny Rosenblatt shares coverage in the Daily Express about one of Spacemade‘s tools for creating meaningful connections in a workspaces… a climbing (or bouldering) wall.
Warning the link shared has a lot of ads (like… a looot) but the following quote highlights a paradigm shift from just socializing to wellness: ""The days of going to the pub at lunchtime have gone – the new generation of workers doesn’t have that same drinking culture. It’s at loggerheads with the idea of good health, wellness and fitness." Wells aid Jonny!
👉 Read this.
✍️ An Open Letter: Don’t Fumble this Moment #
Cat Johnson is concerned that the word “coworking” is being misused. The prefix “co” means with, together, or jointly. But there are a lot of spaces focused more on the space and the hospitality than on the co.
"But the co is what changed the game."
👉 Read this.
📺 Australian coworking brand taps into TV ads #
When was the last time you saw a coworking advert, on an actual TV channel? Hannah McNulty shares WOTSO‘s first ever TV ad (that she also stars in). I’m all for coworking being promoted on local and national TV.
👉 Read this.
🏦 Are you collecting security deposits? #
The Deskworks team put together a good guide around why some coworking spaces do, and some do not, collect security deposits. Often times, some operators collect deposits for specific kinds of bookings and products. The piece also offers some alternatives for those who want some cover, but don’t want to slow down their sales processes.
👉 Read this.
💥 Is this the phoenix moment for coworking? #
Andrea Pirrotti-Dranchak, global enterprise director of NewFlex, which operates flex office spaces on behalf of landlords, shares thoughts she recently shared with reporters investigating the fallout from a potential WeWork bankruptcy on the wider coworking market.
In short: Andrea notes that fully remote for all employees and return-to-office mandates aren’t going to work for everyone, and employees who get this shift wrong may be seeing valued team members walking out. Which I take to meant that coworking isn’t going away, it’s just being re-born for a wider clientbase.
👉 Read this.
🎨 Approaching brand differentiation as a strategic intent #
Keke Patissier from Koho discusses the importance of brand differentiation as a strategic necessity to stand out, reduce churn, and ensure long-term success in a competitive market – particularly as the market becomes more commoditized over time.
👉 Read this.
🪙 Should you charge set-up fees on VOs? #
Sofia Stolberg from PilotoMail says no! She goes on to say that "set-up fees don’t raise your average ticket – they cost you clients".
Do you charge set-up fees on your virtual office memberships? Why or why not?
👉 Read this.
🚂 Popup coworking spaces in train stations #
Joachim Gripp shares thoughts after popping in to a popup coworking space at the Berlin Central Station.
The pop up offers commuters a quiet workplace for concentrated work and after a two-week campaign, a permanent workspace is made available on the 10th floor. Great way to launch a new workspace in a location with heavy (and busy) footfall.
👉 Read this.
Share This Week's Summary
💻 Coworking technology.
📑 How to plan for AI implementations #
Syncaroo shares some insights and tips for coworking spaces who are exploring bringing in various AI tools into their businesses. In summary, it runs over the importance of integrations, live data, keeping in mind what systems can access which information, and thinking ahead to an AI-augmented tech stack.
👉 Read this.
🤖 How a social club is automating their workspace business #
How KWENCH is automating member communication, invoice follow-ups, task management, and more in their coworking space using an integrated tech stack and Optix Automations.
I love how the brand set up 30+ automations, and reduced their teams workload by over 5000 actions in just 60 days. Task automation (and data-synchronization) is going to define the new kings and queens of community-focussed spaces. Calling it.
👉 Read this.
🔑 Access control co suddenly shuts down #
NextKey have suddenly announced they will be ceasing operations at the end of the month, and that they’ve let go all their staff (including support teams).
Not sure how many spaces were using them, or how many doors were controlled through their cloud solution, but its a scary thought for operations who have not put in place contingency or fallback plans for their operating stack.
👉 Read this.
🎃 Can AI help create events, for humans? #
We are all trying to do more with less, and that is where AI shines. DeShawn Brown of Coworks and David Walker of Coworking Consulting put ChatGPT to the test in real time.
And the results were pretty great. But only with input and guidance.
👉 Read this.
🛡 Data synchronicity co adds powerful data firewall to all plans. #
All Syncaroo accounts now also get a free, but powerful, data firewall on all data-syncing tiers – even the free level.
This adds a new dimension to integrating platforms through this infrastructure, keeping data secure whilst also keeping listings auto-updated and bookings in-sync.
👉 Read this.
🤖 Proximity teases new AI booking functionality #
Proximity COO Mike Flanagan shared a preview of what’s to come from their new AI Concierge feature called "Prox".
Rather than searching through pages of search results and having to manually set search filters, Proximity’s new functionality will power an assistant that can search and book the space you are looking for just by talking to it.
👉 Read this.
💡 We dont need more UIs or apps #
Caleb Parker shares a reminder that not every proptech (property technology) solution needs to have a user interface or app.
👉 Read this.
🚚 Move over LLMs, your AI Agent’s new BFF has arrived… #
NVIDIA Research and the Georgia Institute of Technology have put out a paper on a shift from Large Language Models (LLMs) to Small Language Models (SLMs), and what it could mean for agentic processes, workforces and costs.
So what are they? These language models can run on your own servers, and eventually on your own machines, bringing what powers modern AI systems out of data centers and into your laptop, coworking space and office buildings. Watch this space.
👉 Read this.
🥽 Are FPV drone videos the next big flex? #
Droneologist shows off a first-person-view (FPV) drone video they made recently for Spacemade.
Drone footage isn’t new, but nicely edited tours could be a lovely way to give prospective members a feel for the space, especially if they’re able to capture some of the community going about their day.
👉 Read this.
🔒 Security co launches visitor management tool #
Brivo announced a strategic partnership with Envoy to launch "Brivo Visitor Management powered by Envoy", integrating the former’s workplace platform into the latter’s Security Suite.
The solution combines visitor management with physical security, access control, video intelligence, and intrusion detection in a unified platform that scales from single offices to Fortune 500 enterprises.
👉 Read this.
🚀 How to see who’s winning in booking space race? #
Look at whose customers are sharing about how they use flex spaces, how it’s part of their culture and how damn happy employees are for it.
We previously saw Slack share how they use WeWork All Access to build community internally, today we hear from Dropbox about how they leverage Desana.
👉 Read this.
🧑🏽💻 What makes a coworking website high performing? #
Spacebring conducted an audit of over 200 coworking and flexible workspace websites from around the world to identify conversion optimization patterns.
The analysis found that high-performing sites feature clear value propositions, dual CTAs above the fold for sign-ups and tours, well-defined product categories including offices and meeting rooms, instant booking capabilities for rooms and desks, detailed location pages with real-time availability, and dedicated enterprise sections.
The audit identified common revenue-limiting mistakes including hiding meeting rooms and day passes behind inquiry forms instead of enabling instant booking, lacking detailed corporate-focused pages, insufficient location page content without floor plans or persistent CTAs, and poor mobile experiences. Spacebring converted these findings into a blog post and created a one-page coworking website template for operators to use with designers.
👉 Read this.
📱 30 types of meeting room displays for your coworking space #
The andcards team breaks down 30 different types of meeting room displays that coworking spaces may use to help members see which room is available, when and other useful information or actions.
👉 Read this.
🇯🇵 Corp booking app soft launches in Japan #
Deskimo expands with a soft-launch of their corporate-focussed coworking booking app into the Japanese market, their 6th.
👉 Read this.
💡 Software co forms partnership with 110 space network #
Cobot and Impact Hub Network have signed a partnership deal to make it easier (and cheaper) for 110 Impact Hubs to use their software.
I’m hearing more and more about software cos brokering network-wide or franchise-wide deals like these. Definitely a trend to watch.
👉 Read this.
👋 Operator’s accelerator intros cohort, including a booking platform #
As you may, or may not, already know Workbox runs an accelerator that backs future of work startups. They just announced their summer 2024 class which includes Soundspace niche booking platform for shared spaces focussed mostly on artists/creators/podcasters, alongside tools for employees, financial advisors and HR professionals.
I think this is an interesting investment, given that I (still) believe there is still so much opportunity in introducing and fascilitating coworking, and other shared spaces, to specific niches.
👉 Read this.
Coworking data.
🏦 44% of financial services firms expect to double flex utilization #
Vincent Lottefier shares trend data from CBRE that includes that the projected increase in European flex space is expected to grow faster than in the US.
One number that caught my eye though was that 44% of the financial services firms surveyed expect to double their flex office space utilization by 2024, with the biggest adopters expecting a 5x increase. Also, that IT security issues were the biggest challenge to adopting more flex space, so keep that in mind as you plan your IT infrastructure upgrades.
👉 Read this.
🧾 Lead gen is the biggest challenge for coworking space operators. #
Interest in flex space and coworking is up, but that isn’t leading to an increase in bookings or memberships for many operators. " According to a coworking survey conducted by Yardi Kube in partnership with GCUC, owners and operators identified lead generation as their biggest challenge, but still, most of them (55%) plan on expanding in the next 12 months."
Other interesting datapoints from this piece: of the 350 respondents, 45% noted that their websites generated 75% of their leads. At the same time 27% of the spaces noted that lead generation was their biggest challenge (followed by hiring, system complexity, reporting and manual invoicing at 20%, 13%, 8% and 5% respectively).
👉 Read this.
📉 Desk utilization peaks mid-week, but then craters, everywhere. #
Brad Hargreaves shares a data snapshot from Advanced Workplace Associates on attendance and desk usage by weekday across Latin America, UK and North America. The graph shows a peak on Tue and Wed (and closely followed by Thurs) across all regions, but then dips off on Fridays, especially in North America.
I do wonder if this data also reflects coworking utilization, then is a challenge for flex workspace operators, or an opportunity? For example, could new campaigns/events generate new revenue or membership interest during quieter times?
👉 Read this.
⏫ Convene coworking at 80% occupancy #
Natalie Hernandez shares a piece highlighting how Convene is bucking the popular narrative that coworking is on it’s way out noting that the firm has "kept it coworking tenants intact with an 80% occupancy rate at an average lease term of 15 months."
👉 Read this.
⛵️ Axios notes that the coworking sector is on the upswing #
In another follow on piece from WeWork’s announcement last week, Axios digs into some numbers from other operators (namely Industrious) that highlight strong demand and business models. Quoting Jamie Hodari they note that they’re seeing "more demand for [flex working spaces] right now than at any time in the last decade", with revenues tripled since 2019 and current rev growth rate sitting between 35-40%.
👉 Read this.
✅ Cushman highlights flex as a component of workspace strategies #
A piece by Cushman & Wakefield looks at how various recent coworking data sets correlate to their recent survey with CoreNet of of office occupiers. In it they highlight three main shifts: 1. there are more and more coworking spaces, taking less space on shorter terms. 2. Companies continue to leverage flex spaces to congregate distributed employees. And 3. global firms believe that by 2029 20% of their employees will be in coworking spaces.
👉 Read this.
🌱 India sees green boom #
Shyam Sundar Nagarajan from GoFloaters shares that India’s office market is seeing a subtle green boom, noting that over 530M sqft is now Green-certified (61% of all top-tier office space).
They also share that certified offices in the region are also able to command 24% higher rent, have a lower vacancy rates.
👉 Read this.
Coworking market moves.
🍠 Coworking space dives into fractional office offerings #
The Shop Workspace in Salt Lake City have introduced ‘part-time coworking’ a membership that comes with twice-a-week access at a lower rate. Interesting to see operators explore offering fractional or shared memberships in this way.
👉 Read this.
🇮🇳 Venture X enters India market #
Global coworking franchise brand Venture X launched its Indian operations with two premium locations in Gurgaon, Delhi, offering approximately 1,200 seats across 6,000 sqm through local master franchise partners.
Venture X currently operates more than 100 locations across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Costa Rica, Portugal, and UAE, with European presence including two locations in Spain and one in Portugal.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 BE Offices inks deal in The White Chapel Building #
BE Offices have announced their partnership with Derwent London, the UK’s largest London office-focused real estate investment trust (REIT), to take the part ground and 1st floors in the building.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 Runway East opens Borough Market at 53% occupancy #
Runway East has launched a new 12k sqft stand-alone workspace at 150 Borough High Street, opening with 53% occupancy. This makes the firm the largest flexible workspace operator in London Bridge, and also brings their total to 13 locations across the UK. This is their second collaboration with landlords Peer Group and follows the success of their Wardour Street managed office, which reached full capacity within nine months.
Founder Natasha Guerra highlights the company’s strong presence in London Bridge, its growing landlord partnerships, and rising demand from global corporations for flexible workspace.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 Local council seeking coworking space operating partner in Crewe #
The Economic Development team at Cheshire East Council shared an opportunity for a flex workspace operator to partner up and take over a town-center location on a base rent + profit share lease. The council have earmarked 7 figures for refitting and setting up the space (excl. furniture) and are seeking interested parties who would like to partner up to run the space.
👉 Read this.
🤝 Blush Cowork joins The Coven #
The Coven announced its expansion to Cary, NC with the absorption of Blush Cowork, marking the company’s eighth location and rebranding the location as The Coven Cary. Founding owner Alison Campbell Rogers, a Cary local and UNC graduate, will continue operating the space which will host a Grand Re-Opening this fall following the transition from Blush Cowork. Founding Annual Memberships and Day Passes are available immediately for the North Carolina location.
The acquisition represents The Coven’s continued expansion strategy, bringing Rogers’ existing community relationships and coworking experience into The Coven’s network of women-focused workspace locations.
👉 Read this.
🆕 Brand announces new NYC location #
Steven Cohen from Nomadworks announces the newest location in Times Square, NYC is due to open on Sept 6th.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 Wizu opens 7th Leeds location #
Wizu Workspace opens their 7th location in Leeds, at One Embankment offering offices for 4-100 desks.
👉 Read this.
🌊 BLANKSPACES reopens in Santa Monica #
Jerome Chang announced that BLANKSPACES‘ opening of a new Santa Monica Downtown location, after their previous location closed last summer following nearly 14 years of operation. The new space is located at the southwest corner of Colorado Ave and 10th Ave in the Silicon Beach area, featuring private offices and coworking facilities with a 30-foot shell roof design. The location is positioned right within Santa Monica’s tech ecosystem, targeting businesses seeking opportunities in the area where shopping, dining, and nature converge.
👉 Read this.
🗼 Firm closes 7-year-old location in Seattle #
It was announced the Galvanize would close their five-floor 71k sqft location in Pioneer Square, Seattle.
GeekWire notes that Senior Director of Business Operations Lindsey Rohde called the news “sudden, sad, and frustrating to say the least.” 380 members will be displaced and 1 employee will be impacted. This also follows other recent physical closures in the city from Impact Hub, The Riveter, Hing Hay Coworks, Ballard Labs and Office Nomads.
👉 Read this.
🇮🇳 OYO raises series G down round #
Various outlets are reporting that the parent company of OYO (the hospitality & short-term rental platform in in India) has closed their series G round which brought the firm’s valuation down 75% from $10B to just $2.4B. The firm shelved plans for a local IPO in 2021.
Why is this coworking news? Bear with me… So OYO has a coworking sub-brand called OYO Workspaces, which in turn has two products or brands namely "Workflo by OYO" and "Innov8" (which was Y Combinator backed and that OYO acquired for around $31.84M in cash). So, if they’re taking a down round, could we see Workspaces being sold off soon?
👉 Read this.
📡 Tech Square ATL launches Studio B coworking space #
Tech Square ATL announced the upcoming opening of Studio B. a coworking space located on the top floor of the historic Biltmore building in the heart of Tech Square, Atlanta. The space targets strategic landing parties, tech founders, and their service providers, offering coworking areas, high-speed internet, and inclusion in the Tech Square ATL network within the larger 1M+ square feet Tech Square innovation ecosystem.
The historic Biltmore building previously housed Atlanta’s WSB radio station, and Studio B. aims to serve as an entry point for disruptors seeking to collaborate within Atlanta’s growing tech community.
👉 Read this.
🌏 APAC ‘super group’ forms through merger #
Under The Flexi Group, three brands (Common Ground from Malaysia, The Hive from Hong Kong and The Cluster from Australia) will come under one umbrella to boast 45 locations in 12 cities and nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The brands will continue to run independently.
👉 Read this.
🇦🇺 Australian network with onsite childcare preps for growth #
Business News Australia covers BubbaDesk‘s story from Lauren Perrett’s idea (read: frustration) of sharing workspaces ‘and a few nannies’ with other working mums, to launching a coworking space in 2022 on the Central Coast, to growing to 4 locations, securing Canva as a coworking-with-childcare employee-perk partner, to preparing to expand to seven locations.
Yes. I know that was a looong sentence. But I’m also really excited about seeing coworking + childcare concepts hitting their strides!
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 Patch opens flagship coworking space in Gloucester #
Patch has announced plans to open a flagship coworking location in Gloucester this autumn, targeting Gloucestershire’s growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs, creatives, and changemakers. The space will be located at The Forum, a new digital and tech innovation neighborhood near Kings Square and within walking distance of Gloucester Quays and the train station.
The Gloucester location represents Patch’s expansion into the UK market with a focus on supporting regional business ecosystems.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇷 One of Athen’s oldest spaces moves to Kolonaki #
The Cube, co-founded by Stavros Messinis and Maria Calafatis who launched the first coworking space in the capital of Greece, has completed a move to the Kolonaki area.
And no, there’s no relation between my surname and the area. I believe.
👉 Read this.
🎤 UK music coworking brands partner up #
H.O.M.E (the recently launched coworking space for independent music entrepreneurs and companies) shared that they’ve formed partnerships with creator collective and workspace provider The Halley and industry body Music Technology UK.
The reciprocal deal provides members of all three with discounted access to each others workspaces, studio time and networking opportunities.
👉 Read this.
☀️ TailoredSpace opens third San Diego location #
TailoredSpace has opened a new 14,412 square foot coworking space in Del Mar, marking its third location in the greater San Diego market alongside existing sites in Carlsbad and Kearny Mesa. The company has additional locations under construction in Oceanside and Solana Beach, with co-founder Drew Sanden citing strong demand, tours, and memberships driving rapid regional growth.
The expansion reflects TailoredSpace’s focus on securing premium buildings in suburban markets to serve local business owners and entrepreneurs seeking alternatives to home offices.
👉 Read this.
🤠 Common Desk continues expansion with new Irving location #
Peter Greenspan shares news about Common Desks’ new 37.5k sqft space in Las Colinas area of Irving, Texas.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 Flexible workspace operator secures second Soho site #
Runway East signed their 11th site in the landmark 58 Wardour Street in a 10 year partnership deal with Soho Estates. The 7k sqft site have managed offices for teams between 20-100 people and is scheduled to open in November 2024.
👉 Read this.
🤸 On-demand micro-gyms hitting their stride #
Ben Alderton shares a rare status update from Solo60, which is expected to have 30 bookable mini-gyms by EOY.
Why is this in a coworking newsletter? Because these bookable wellness spaces for content creators, instructors, therapists, or private group workouts is literally ‘coworking for wellness’.
👉 Read this.
🆕 Firm launches and quickly sells out Nashville founding memberships #
McKenna Yoder shares that Switchyards had launched (and quickly sold out of) Nashville Founding Memberships.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 The City gets a new boutique workspace at Frederick’s Place #
Danielle Jones shared some snaps of The Boutique Workplace Company‘s new offering, their first in the City of London. The space, set to open in October, will offer private suites for 2-50 people.
Previously this location used to be the home of Bathtub to Boardroom (a non-profit coworking space) and Escape the City .
👉 Read this.
🏢 Switchyards slides into Houston #
Michael Tavani shares that Switchyards will open its first Houston location in September, at the former Buffalo Exchange space on the border of Montrose, River Oaks, and Upper Kirby. This marks their 30th existing location, having already opening in expansion cities including Austin, Denver, Kansas City, and Nashville, with a Dallas location opening at the end of August.
Unlike WeWork’s focus on companies, Switchyards targets individual remote workers with ~$100 monthly memberships offering 24/7 access, fast wifi, and quality coffee and tea. Memberships are capped due to the fact that the last 14 club openings sold out on day one.
👉 Read this.
🇦🇹 Hotel brand launches 3rd coworking space in Vienna #
Coworking Europe notes that Schani Hotels have opened their 3rd coworking location in Vienna. Watch as even more hospitality and hotel brands adapt to offer or partner with flex space options.
👉 Read this.
🎨 Firm introduces new brand, logo and web experience #
Dan Zakai unveiled a new chapter for Mindspace, which includes a refreshed brand, new logo, and a completely redesigned website.
👉 Read this.
🇬🇧 Firm opens new hub on London Bridge #
Charlie Gallienne-Schmidt shares that Sandbox Workspace have just opened their 9th location in Colechurch House, on London Bridge.
This location features retro 70s vibes and offers desks starting at £300/month.
👉 Read this.
🇵🇱 The Shire hits nine locations with Warsaw and Kraków openings #
Polish coworking operator The Shire opened a new Warsaw location in Zebra Tower and will launch a Kraków site in September 2025 in Unity Tower, bringing the company to nine total Polish locations.
Union Investment partnered with The Shire as part of its strategy to integrate flexible office providers into landmark properties, while The Shire continues developing additional locations targeting startups, SMEs, and corporate clients seeking hybrid workspace solutions, with Managing Partner Rafał Pisklewicz scheduled to speak at Coworking Europe 2025 in Berlin.
👉 Read this.
🏗️ Another office to shared warehouse conversion project #
Portal Warehousing announced the recent closing of 3200 Gateway Centre Blvd in the Raleigh-Durham MSA. The property will undergo conversion from office to warehouse space, involving primarily interior demolition and the addition of loading docks.
Once operational (Spring 2026), Portal Raleigh will house over 70 different businesses, while Portal continues actively seeking new expansion opportunities.
👉 Read this.
🎙 Coworking conversations.
Giovanni Palavacini and Jamie Russo sit down with Mike Kloppenburg, VP at Avison Young and longtime coworking insider, to pull back the curtain on what’s really happening in the brokerage world, and what it means for flex operators on the Flex Uncensored podcast.
Jamie Russo chats with Dan Wesson and Chelle Pederson about the origin and epic comeback story of The Post Workspaces.
Jamie Russo & Giovanni Palavicini chats with Faye Stutts on Vari committing to the coworking industry.
Isabel Berwick chats with Laura Beales (Tally Workspace) and Ebbie Wisecarver (WeWork) on the FT podcast about why beer taps are out and phone booths are in and how design of workspaces have matured since the pandemic.
Rishi Chowdhury chats with Antony Slumbers and Hattie Walker-Arnott about the rapidly changing AI landscape and how to keep abreast of market trends on the Buildings 2040 podcast.
Michelle Ottey chats with Jamie Russo about empowering innovation in Philadelphia through 140,000 sqft of workspace, lab space and more on the Everything Coworking podcast.
Emily Breder hosts Gavin Neate who shares his fascinating journey from Royal Air Force police dog handler to a disability advocate and entrepreneur, and how simple yet powerful ideas can significantly improve the lives of many.
Jamie Russo digs into on-demand offerings, pricing, user demands and mindset shifts on the Everything Coworking podcast.
Brave CEO, Caleb Parker, and ReturnSuite Cofounder, Sam Gamble, chat with Techspace’s CEO, Jonathan Bevan about how their niche brand differentiation has created a competitive moat, drives organic community, and attracted institutional investors.
Jenny Poon, founder of CO+HOOTS joined Spacebring‘s The Flex Factor podcast on how to partner with governments to grow your business, and how she uses AI and technology to scale her coworking space brand.
📆 Coworking events.
📬 Key elements to designing your VO offering #
Aug 23: Discover the essential components to craft a successful virtual office offering. Whether you’re a seasoned coworking space owner, community manager, mail operator, or someone just starting out in the industry, this interactive session will prepare you with the knowledge and strategies to design a thriving virtual mailbox service for your community.
👉 Read this.
🗓 Event ideas & strategies #
August 25: Coworking was never just about desks and wifi. It’s about community and basking in togetherness. What better way to do that than events? But how many times have you gone through the painstaking effort of planning, buying all of the things, and then..nothing? Maybe a trickle of people show, but definitely not the masses like you had envisioned. How do you go approach event planning and execution in a way that keeps your members engaged and wanting more? Let’s chat about it.
👉 Read this.
👩🏫 Convo: Educating your community about coworking #
August 26: How can you educate your community about coworking? Let’s chat about it.
👉 Read this.
🇨🇦 GCUC Canada in Toronto #
Sept 12-13: GCUC returns to Canada for a 2-day event at The Vault.
👉 Read this.