Helio: shared workspace+

The speed of change and the rate at which companies grow nowadays demands new ways of conceiving office spaces: oftentimes people want more flexibility and they want to be able to just focus on the business, without having to deal with the hassles of facility management.

That’s when Helio steps in, offering high quality shared workspace, complete with hotel-style design features, catering, food & beverage facilities and other perks like fitness space.

“We offer business facilities that people love” says Patrik Åström, CEO of Helio. “Since the pandemic hit and home-office became more widespread, the office has to offer that little bit more now. It needs to do what the home-office doesn’t. And of course, with shared workspaces, there’s a great opportunity to learn and get inspired from chance encounters and the buzz of an environment that sparks brilliance.”

With the pandemic people started to avoid crowded places and Helio’s hospitality arm suffered. But instead of despairing, they decided to take advantage of the slow-down in the markets.

“We did two things: First, we broadened our owner base; second, we thought it was a good time to grow. We signed many new leases, opening three new venues in nine months. We rebuilt our IT-structure and portal and really focussed on growing the company,” Patrick explains. “We were opportunistic. With shopping having dropped, we created office space out of retail space. For example, we re-fitted an H&M store into an office space.”

To drive this growth, the company sought financial support in the form of a loan through DBT, guaranteed by the EIF under the pan-European Guarantee Fund.

“In the future, if people demand more of the office, landlords will need to make more effort to attract people to their buildings… we take a space and create a vibe for the building,” he adds. “For small companies, it’s difficult to create attractions that will draw the best people, so that’s where we can make a difference.”