A Dutch startup that helps Microsoft and Uber find meeting rooms is about to expand to the UK
Deskbookers - launched in Amsterdam in 2013 before expanding throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany - allows startups, corporations, and freelancers to book meeting spaces, meeting rooms, training rooms and work spaces.
According to a study from American research firm Gallup, almost 40% of employees have worked remotely, and the trend is increasing rapidly. Deskbookers, which employs 23 people, wants to profit by providing office space to these people at short notice that is paid for on an hourly rate.
The platform is currently processing over 7,000 bookings per month and nearly 100,000 bookings have been made to date. Technology giants like Microsoft, Uber, and T-Mobile are among those using Deskbookers to find business-savvy venues, which are rated in a similar way to Airbnb properties.
Deskbookers said it plans use the money from Berlin venture capital firm Point Nine Capital and a number of angel investors to expand to 5 more countries in Europe over the next year, including the UK. The funding will alo be used to extend Dekbooker's mobile app, and add new features to the Deskbooker venue management system.
Jeroen Arts, cofounder of Deskbookers, said: "We will use the seed funding to double down on expansion and growth and attract the best talent to our product and marketing teams."
Mathias Ockenfels, principal at Point Nine Capital, added: "Deskbookers' rapid growth and experienced team set it apart from its competitors and made the choice to invest an easy one. Without taking any previous capital, Deskbookers has already become by far the fastest-growing platform in Europe. We are confident that the team has the drive and expertise to take this momentum and quickly expand to new markets globally."