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π° Coworking news & views.
π©πͺ German coworking pioneer returns to original hometown Berlin #
Betahaus, one of Europe’s first international coworking brands, has announced the opening of its 11th location through a management agreement with GSG Berlin at Moritzplatz, Berlin – the same district where the company first launched in 2009.
The company currently operates locations across Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, and Romania, primarily through franchise agreements. This return to Moritzplatz, a vibrant hub for creativity and startups, represents a meaningful connection to Betahaus’ roots while expanding their presence in the modern coworking landscape.
π Read this.
πͺπΈ Barcelona industrial coworking space fights for new location #
Cobot shares that TMDC, a Barcelona-based industrial coworking space and factory that has supported over 300 entrepreneurs during its decade-long operation, is being forced to relocate by the city council. The space’s founder, Pedro Pineda, has secured a β¬1.7M grant from PERTE for social economy to aid in the transition.
To complete their relocation funding, TMDC has launched a crowdfunding campaign seeking to raise an additional β¬200,000. At time of curation they’ve raised β¬4,000 and are taking contributions with rewards starting at just β¬11.
π Read this.
ποΈ Fintech giant enters CRE lending business #
PYMNTS and Bloomberg shares that fintech giant Revolut is reportedly entering the commercial real estate lending business.
We’re not sure if they’ll be more or less keen than incumbent lenders to value flex space at higher than net-zero revenue floor plans, but we’ll be keeping an eye on the this new business unit as we explore the shift in Capital Markets appetites for flex space.
π Read this.
βοΈ New Zealand opens doors to remote workers in 2025 #
Starting January 27, 2025, New Zealand is updating its Visitor Visa program to allow remote workers employed by foreign companies to live and work in the country for up to 90 days. The new visa modification, which requires no minimum income requirement, aims to boost the country’s economy by attracting digital nomads who typically spend more time and money in their host countries.
The visa will cost NZD $341 (approximately $193), with applications processed within 3.5 weeks, and joins similar initiatives from over 66 countries including recent programs launched by South Korea, Italy, Japan, and Kenya.
π Read this.
π₯οΈ Community reveals website redesign, built by members #
The Residence, a coworking space in Bishops Stortford, has launched a revamped website that showcases both its brand personality and the transformative potential of coworking environments.
The website redesign project exemplifies the space’s collaborative ethos, as it was created by two of its own members – Sparks Web Studio for design and Bee The Buzz for content. This success story demonstrates how coworking spaces can foster meaningful business connections, with the website serving as a testament to the community’s ability to support and elevate its members.
π Read this.
π± LSE-listed operator CEO challenges SME office myths #
In this thoughtful LinkedIn post, the CEO of Workspace, Lawrence Hutchings, shares a recap of several misconceptions about small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK’s flexible workspace market.
He debunked six major myths, including that SMEs (who make up 99.8% of UK businesses) view workspace as an essential investments rather than just another cost, do prioritize sustainability (with 88% considering it crucial), and define prime locations based on their unique criteria and cultural fits – rather than the traditional notion of prestigious addresses.
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π» Coworking technology.
π OpenAI’s Operator agent tested for meeting room booking #
CEO of Uniti, Franceso DeCamilli, shared an experiment we recently did testing OpenAI’s new Operator agent by requesting assistance in booking a meeting room near Grand Central station in New York City. The AI agent’s process and which sites it tried highlights how future search and website user experiences may need to be optimized for AI agents.
How’d it all sort out? Check out the post to see the video of it in action. Touches on two big topics and trends we’re following. Ecommerce and AI Agents. Exciting times!
π Read this.
π SEO updates coworking operators should know and note #
Jacob Bolling from Coworking SEO shared his takeaways on what 2025 updates to SEO coworking operators should be mindful in particular highlighting neighborhood info, ensuring you have a mobile experience, ensuring multiple locations are not coming up as duplicate pages, and more.
π Read this.
βοΈ Nexudus launches marketing insights tool into beta #
Nexudus have introduced a new Marketing Insights Module into public beta, designed to enhance coworking space operations through advanced member analytics. The module enables space operators to personalize communication, implement targeted campaigns, and make data-driven resource allocation decisions based on member segmentation (like larger teams with more than 11 people). This new feature aims to help coworking spaces improve member retention and strengthen community engagement through more meaningful experiences.
π Read this.
π€ How some coworking operators are (already) leveraging AI #
Elliot Gold, CEO of Work.Life outlined how coworking spaces are leveraging AI and automation to revolutionize their operations and increase profitability. The transformation encompasses several key areas including AI-driven lead management, personalized customer experiences, dynamic pricing strategies, and automated operational processes. Through tools like Orchestry, Koho.ai, and Teramot, operators can streamline administrative tasks while gaining valuable insights into customer behavior and space utilization, ultimately aiming to create smart operation hubs that better serve tomorrow’s workforce while maintaining profitable business models.
Are you exploring or using AI Agents? Apply to participate in our Undercurrents on the this emerging trend.
π Read this.
πΊοΈ Aggregator launches team coordination tool #
LiquidSpace has unveiled Team Connect, a new enterprise-focused tool designed to streamline in-person team coordination and workspace management. The platform features an interactive map showing team members’ workspace bookings, enables users to follow colleagues’ workspace patterns, and facilitates group reservations. The tool also includes analytics capabilities to help organizations optimize their workspace resources and identify popular meeting locations among team members.
LiquidSpace had an integration partnership with Kadence, but was more a one way user flow from Kadence customers booking their suggested meeting times on LiquidSpace. It makes sense they’d want to also offer a similar feature to the customers that are running the enterprise version of their platform.
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π Coworking data.
π’ Three office days weekly boosts employee wellbeing #
A recent survey of 1,210 UK employees by infinitSpace reveals that workers who attend the office three to four days per week report the highest levels of wellbeing, with approximately 60% reporting positive physical and mental health outcomes.
The study found that hybrid workers attending office only one to two days weekly reported the lowest wellbeing scores, while those working from flexible workspaces reported better wellbeing outcomes compared to traditional office settings. The findings suggest that while workplace policies should remain flexible, regular office attendance and thoughtfully designed spaces can significantly impact employee health and happiness, according to infinitSpace CEO Wybo Wijnbergen.
π Read this.
π§π½βπ» Traditional office design hits plateau as flexibility rises #
Dr. Suleiman Alhadidi shared some takeaways inspired by CBRE’s $800M acquisition of Industrious as it relates to a strategic shift in commercial real estate, acknowledging flexible workspaces as a permanent fixture in the office landscape. Research from Harvard University revealed that traditional office space utilization efficiency reached a plateau in 2023, indicating a growing disconnect between designed capacity and actual occupancy rates.
This transition signals that major real estate players are evolving from traditional landlords to service providers, offering adaptable workplace solutions that better align with modern business needs and hybrid work models, while the industry grapples with balancing operational efficiency and employee well-being in the post-pandemic era.
π Read this.
π€ Coworking market moves.
π¬π§ IKEA brings its coworking concept to London #
IKEA’s Hej!Workshop has launched in Greenwich, London. Offering free parking, free hours of child supervision and day passes from just Β£25, it’ll be interesting to see how the concept lands in one of the world’s most competitive coworking markets.
π Read this.
πΈπ¬ Work Boulevard expands with 4th Singapore location #
Gaurav Joshi shares that The Work Boulevard are opening their fourth location at Guoco Midtown, marking a significant expansion of their coworking space network.
The new facility will feature the company’s signature coworking spaces alongside a state-of-the-art MICE & Events facility at the Network Hub. Members will receive exclusive preferential rates for these premium event spaces, enhancing the value proposition for their community.
π Read this.
π Coworking conversations.
In this episode of the Coworking Values podcast, Emily Breder sits down with Ann-Marie Kinlock, founder of Kindhaus, to discuss the massive gap in support for working parents and how coworking spaces can fill it.
π§ Listen to this.
David Cairns, a commercial real estate veteran turned flex space advocate, joins the Flex Uncensored podcast to share his journey from the brokerage world to building a life centered on flexibility and purpose.
π§ Listen to this.
In this episode of Coworking Out Loud, Cat Johnson explains how competing on price is a race to the bottom; competing on location only works until someone else comes along with a better location; and how your fabulous space can always be out-fabuloused by someone with deeper pockets. So you need to compete on things others canβt copy.
π§ Listen to this.