independesk

Independesk GmbH provides a mobile application for booking flexible and local workspaces. The platform connects companies and freelancers with providers of temporary desks, such as co-working spaces, hotels, and cafes, allowing for hourly booking and billing. The business aims to offer an alternative to working from home by providing professional environments close to users, reducing commute times. For businesses, the service allows them to offer employees a budget for external workspaces, potentially reducing the need for large, centralized office spaces.

The company was founded in Berlin, Germany, in July 2020 by Karsten Kossatz, Uwe Weinreich, and formerly Erik Müller, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The app officially launched on September 15, 2020. The founders, Kossatz and Weinreich, handled marketing and app development, respectively. The startup gained visibility and secured an investment of €200,000 from Carsten Maschmeyer and Georg Kofler after an appearance on the German TV show "Die Höhle der Löwen". Over its lifetime, the company raised a total of $469K in funding.

However, the company filed for insolvency in November 2022. The filing was attributed to a financing round falling through and business developing differently than expected due to economic conditions, which made companies less willing to pay for this employee benefit. At the time of the insolvency filing, the platform had 1,700 locations in Germany and Switzerland. Keywords: flexible workspace, desk booking, remote work, co-working, workspace app, hybrid work, real estate technology, shared office, proptech, hourly rental