Why tech firms in Leeds are craving collaborative coworking spaces again

“We thought we needed a traditional city centre office in Leeds that we could fill with web developers but when we got there we had a fairly underwhelming experience,” said Simon Glenn .

He and his business partner, Chris Rabbitt, quickly realised that they needed flexible serviced offices and a vibrant community. They moved into the tech hub at Bruntwood’s Platform building, next to Leeds Station last summer.

For a business that relies on connecting with people it proved to be the right decision.

“The building and location were what Simon wanted but it’s turned out to be much more than that,” said Mr Rabbitt. “It’s the whole community and they’ve really looked after us. They’ve promoted, helped and supported us, which has given us a genuine sense of loyalty.”

Coworking spaces have boomed since businesses started returning to their offices and hybrid working models became the post-covid norm for small businesses.

Bruntwood SciTech welcomed 18 new fast growth tech and digital businesses to Platform during the final quarter of 2021, while a further seven Platform-based companies expanded as a result of recent growth.

The demand for all-inclusive serviced office and coworking space specifically designed for businesses in the science and tech sector comes as Yorkshire heads towards the creation of a further 42,000 digital tech jobs, generating £1.6bn in GVA (gross value added) for the region, by 2025, the fastest growing tech sector in the UK.

Deb Hetherington, head of innovation at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “What we’ve seen in the post-pandemic world is a crossover of businesses.

“Some have left and found that working from home has worked for them but new businesses, particularly the digital tech and creatives, have realised they need that face-to-face collaboration.”

Platform’s tech hub has space for up to 35 businesses ranging from solo entrepreneurs to businesses with team of six.

There is also space in the rest of the building for start-ups to grow with individual offices that have space for up to 12 desks.

Digital transformation agency xDesign, joined Platform as part of the tech hub last year with the aim of growing to a team of 100 in the next 12-18 months across Leeds. A few months later it moved into a small office on the first floor of the building and is now a team of 25 around the city.

Matt Ward, head of Leeds at xDesign, said: “You walk around this place and there’s just a vibe. We’re surrounded by other entrepreneurs and digital businesses who think like we do.”

As well as providing a home to different technology businesses, Platform also has the ecosystem that supports them, like funders, IP (intellectual property) specialists, law firms, accounting and digital transformation specialists.

The building is almost at full capacity and it’s currently business as usual after two years of covid disruption. Ms Hetherington said: “We’re not really doing anything differently since people returned to the office. We’re very aware that there’s a slight risk when you take on start-ups but we’ve always been really flexible.”

Face-to-face events are also back on the agenda. Platform hosts weekly yoga sessions, coffee mornings, monthly Friday night social events as well as business events. Community engagement manager Louise Ford said: “The community aspect of what we offer here is really special and not something that other people are doing in the city.”