Coworking spaces have been sprouting up like mushrooms. Antwerp-based startup ZapFloorHQ is capitalising on this trend with its digital platform, which not only handles the administration of office buildings that host multiple businesses, but also helps transform them into genuine communities.
The startup has now raised €1 million to change the way offices are managed in Europe and the rest of the world. The investment came from the LeanSquare investment fund and Stefan Grosjean.
ZapFloorHQ has developed a platform for coworking spaces and multi-user office buildings, which takes care of back-end administration for building managers while enabling the occupants themselves to access the SaaS platform.
Users can use the platform to book a meeting room, report issues to the building manager or simply communicate with fellow members of the coworking community. And because every coworking space is unique, ZapfloorHQ’s software enables each community to create its own fully customised platform and integrate it with other hardware and software that makes the office as smart as possible.
“Shared offices are gaining in popularity and ZapfloorHQ has succeeded in securing a place in that landscape within a very short space of time,” said José Zurstrassen, chairman of LeanSquare. “By automating a large number of services and simplifying the daily administration, the digital platform enables co-working spaces to concentrate fully on welcoming users to the community. We are therefore convinced that ZapfloorHQ will be an important player in this rapidly growing market.”
The number of coworking spaces worldwide has grown an average of 15% YoY since 2013, and today there are over 32,000 coworking offices globally.
Coworking spaces are ideal spots for freelancers and budding businesses that are not yet able or willing to invest in their own office. However, coworking spaces are also starting to attract larger, more established companies seeking to set up a satellite office.
“This investment is further confirmation of the quality of our services,” said Thomas Celen, co-founder and CEO of ZapFloorHQ. “We believe that managing a workspace is more than just managing an office. ZapfloorHQ turns shared offices into a streamlined, operational whole. Thus saving time for community managers, which they can then devote to growing a truly inspiring community. This finance will allow us to expand both our team and our international focus; so we can offer our platform to more business centres and co-working spaces in Europe and the rest of the world.”
