With over $4.4b in total equity funding at a $20.0b evaluation, WeWork has become one of the most valuable venture-backed companies in the world. Since 2010, WeWork has amassed over 100,000 freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startups across 53 cities on five continents.
With access to world-class amenities, programming, and more, it's no wonder that London's burgeoning startup scene has flocked to WeWork. Today, with office locations in central hubs across the city, WeWork offers fresh coffee, dedicated front desk service, meeting rooms, cleaning services, a variety of membership options, and more.
"When you ask people today what is most important for them in their career, it isn't money," said European Managing Director, Eugen Miropolski in an interview with Independent. "They say they are looking for meaning, for purpose and to belong to somewhere -- to be inspired."
WeWork is a fantastic option, but many startups found that RocketSpace was a better fit for their team. In this piece, we'll explore the similarities, differences, and benefits of WeWork London and RocketSpace's tech campus in London to help you decide which option is right for your tech startup. Let's get started:
Community vs. Tech Ecosystem
WeWork and RocketSpace both provide beautiful, flexible workspaces and scaleable business services for an inspired community of entrepreneurs. In addition, each offers a number of events including lunch and learns, networking events, and on-on-one sessions with investors and industry leaders. One area where WeWork and RocketSpace differ, however, is membership. WeWork accepts members from any industry or vertical, regardless of team size or growth status.
RocketSpace, alternatively, focuses on creating the perfect “tech ecosystem,” designed to pool the most promising tech startups into one space and surround them with the optimal mix of supportive resources. By focusing on a specific vertical and curating a specialized community of tech entrepreneurs and innovators, RocketSpace is able to provide tech startups with a more tailored, nourishing ecosystem custom-built to meet their unique needs. CEO roundtable discussions, workshops, and other valuable events led by industry subject-matter experts equip our member companies with the tools, resources, and know-how to scale. Frequently, when the fit is right, RocketSpace will also make introductions to investors, giving your tech startup a direct line of access to venture capital and private equity firms.
Is London right for your tech startup? Download The London Startup Guide.
NAVIGATE LONDON'S TECH SCENE WITH ONE HANDY GUIDE.
The Meetups, VCs, Accelerators, Events, and Key Places London Tech Startups Need to Know About.
Growth vs. Purposeful Acceleration
WeWork Labs is an incubator program for early-stage startups. With the tools, community, and connections needed to take a business from development to implementation, WeWork Labs has raised over $1B in capital from participating members, and facilitated acquisitions led by major business leaders including Walmart, Ticketmaster, Changer.org, and others.
With startup-to-corporate pilot programs, the RocketSpace accelerator model is specially designed for later stage startups who want to validate their model and grow their business with guidance from industry-leading multinational corporations. Benefits of the program include:
- No equity requirements
- Gain brand and product exposure
- Connect with leading industry mentors
- Validate your product through pilot testing with corporate collaborators
- Accelerate growth through industry knowledge and startup fundamentals
- Get real-time feedback during development
- Introduction to industry-leading corporates
- Potential investment opportunities
RocketSpace has brought together the industry’s most disruptive startups and progressive corporates to deliver a truly optimized innovation experience.
Amenities vs. Innovative Workspace
WeWork workspaces feature both private office and open concept workspaces for teams of 1-100+. Amenities include internet, free refreshments, private phone booths, common areas, and administrative staff. Membership options — custom private space, standard private office, dedicated desk, and hot desk — grant startups the flexibility they need to grow.
RocketSpace has all the amenities that you'd expect from a leading tech hub: crazy-fast internet, unlimited printing, conference rooms equipped with the latest AV, ergonomic work stations, cafe, bar, showers, bike storage, and relaxation room, to name a few. The best part? Everything at RocketSpace is built with tech startups in mind. Every unique offering or office perk is designed to help you scale. Don't see a membership option that works for you and your team? RocketSpace can tailor the workspace to meet the unique needs of your tech startup.
Our aim is to be more than a coworking space a curated community of top tech industry entrepreneurs and innovators. With the tools, resources, and network to help tech startups grow, RocketSpace has served as the launchpad for some of the largest companies today including Uber, Zappos, and Spotify. RocketSpace is specially designed for high-growth tech startups that are eager to change the world.
Join our London Tech Ecosystem
Choosing the best coworking space for your team requires careful consideration. Before making a decision, we recommend you consider these six key factors in choosing a coworking space.
If you're interested in gorgeous facilities, state-of-the-art amenities, networking opportunities, and early-stage incubator programming, WeWork is a fantastic coworking solution. If you're looking for a hyper-focused hub of industry leading, world-class corporate partners, promising tech startup teams, and growth-oriented accelerator programming, RocketSpace is exactly what your tech startup needs. We invite you to evaluate both before making your decision.
Unlock the full potention of London's vibrant tech community. Download The London Startup Guide.
