With co-working experiences booming around the globe, workspaces are becoming much more than four walls and a table. Spaceflow, a Czech startup, challenges our imagination and creativity to reshape how we think of Real Estate. Are we ready to design our own office?
‘‘People want more from their buildings,’’ says Spaceflow’s Marketing Manager, Petr Boruta when speaking to 150sec. ‘‘It’s no longer the case of just providing spaces to rent, it’s about providing an experience to go along with that.’’
Petr Boruta, Marketing manager at Spaceflow. Image courtesy: Medium.com/ @boruta.petr
Hailing originally from the Czech Republic, the company is redefining what constitutes a workspace by allowing users of their platform to reshape and reimagine how spaces can best work for their team. Providing a space for feedback, property owners can gauge what their residents like the best, as well as monetising and enhancing sources of revenue through top-notch analytics.
‘‘Spaceflow accelerates the transformation of real estate from space-to-rent business to space-as-a-service business,’’ Boruta continues. ‘‘This space-as-a-service experience that we create allows landlords and space operators to attract and retain top tenants as well as raise profits. For all occupiers of the buildings and spaces like coworking or co-living, it means they now have amenities, services and community life just one click away in the mobile app.’’
“From space-to-rent business to space-as-a-service business”
Petr Boruta, Marketing Manager at Spaceflow
Co-working spaces are experiencing an unprecedented boom. Last year, for instance, there were over 14,000 coworking spaces identified across the world. In this context, Spaceflow could provide a solution to the problem that many property owners face in a competitive and increasingly saturated market. Their portfolio, however, doesn’t just apply to coworking spaces. The concept can be applied to campuses, shared living spaces and districts, according to their website.
‘‘We build real-time relationships between owners, all occupants and local services and create thriving communities. Our community managers ensure the best experience possible for all occupiers – through attractive content, events and personal communication.’’
Proptech – a growing startup market
As their market continues to grow, so do Proptech startups focussing their entrepreneurial minds bringing tech into real estate. Spaceflow recently celebrated the opening of their New York branch as well as scaling up in the United Kingdom.
‘‘Our team is growing in all the verticals – development, sales, marketing and community managers, so strengthening internal processes and keeping the same flow is vital. The payment system is a whole new level of comfort for occupants and a great opportunity for landlords and services to monetize,’’ continued Boruta.
Although starting in the Czech Republic and plunging into a relatively young startup ecosystem, the company now identifies itself as a global business. The aim is to change the face of real estate around the world beyond Eastern Europe.
‘‘The world is so interconnected today that there is really not much difference in where you run the company from. We’re doing global business for global companies. We’re looking at all the things, from marketing to product, in the global perspective. As we have a team in London, New York and Germany, it’s our mission to keep the same energy and vision throughout the company wherever our team is.’’
This global ideal is certainly something that Boruta predicts will sweep over tech ecosystems. Suggesting that it will be a network of NGO initiatives and government authorities working together that will achieve the best effects, he speaks of state-wide education as the key to tech transformations. And lucky for startups around the world working on this global cause, new innovators such as Spaceflow are there to make sure that their work environment is just right.
Read more: A Conversation With CESA ‘Best Co-working Space’ Winner, Puzl CowOrking
