Helio: shared workspace+

“I think that the speed of change in a company today, and they rate at which companies can grow demands new ways of thinking in relation to office space,” says Patrik Åström, CEO of Helio. “People want flexibility. They want to be able to focus on the business, not handling the office and facilities.”

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. 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.”

The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone, even in Sweden, which soldiered on with the least possible disruption to the economy. With people avoiding crowded places, Helio’s coffee, catering and hospitality arm suffered. But it was also an opportunity to grow, taking 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.

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. “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.”

“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.”

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Financial Intermediary: DBT

SME: Helio (Sweden)

Sector: shared workspace

Number of employees: 75

Financing purpose: growth

EU financing: EGF

For further information about EIF intermediaries in Sweden, please refer to: http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/se/index.htm