The tale of Essensys is as inspiring as it is intriguing. It's a story about resilience, innovation, and the determination to transform vision into reality. The company, founded by Mark Furness, Bryn Sadler, and Barry Clark, has grown into a leader in the flexible workspace industry, providing solutions for coworking spaces worldwide.

The Genesis

Back in 2006, over a casual dinner at a little Thai restaurant in South London, the concept of Essensys was born. The founders envisioned a future where technology could be simplified, automated, and made accessible to all.

The Vision

Mark Furness, the CEO, saw a chance to streamline the delivery of IT services in a flexible, multi-tenant environment. He was passionate about making a difference in the space-as-a-service industry and was eager to solve the complex issues that operators faced.

The Mission

Essensys was established with a mission to simplify complex technological tasks, allowing operators to focus more on their growth strategy. The founders were determined to turn Essensys into a pivotal solution for the most successful workspaces.

The Challenge

In 2006, the coworking industry was still in its infancy. The term coworking was not fully understood, and the market lacked a comprehensive solution to help workspace operators manage their operations efficiently. This resulted in operators having to juggle multiple systems, contracts, expenditures, and staff training events, leading to operational headaches.

The Solution

That's when Essensys stepped in, offering mission-critical coworking space software designed to make operators' lives easier. The company launched two intuitive products, Connect and Operate, which simplified the complexities of technology with automation, self-service, and real-time visibility across an entire workspace portfolio.

Fundraising

In 2021 Essensys successfully raised £33.2 million through an oversubscribed share placement. The funds fueled the company's global expansion, focusing on key markets like North America, the UK, Continental Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Essensys aimed to capitalize on the shifting landscape in commercial real estate, accelerate its go-to-market strategy, and enhance product development.

The Innovation

What sets Essensys apart is its proprietary cloud network, the essensysCloud, built exclusively to deliver services and security to coworking operations. It empowers tenants with a wide range of on-demand services and provides operators with full control over their workspace services.

The Impact

The introduction of Essensys' solutions has greatly simplified the management of flexible workspaces, enabling operators to focus on running their spaces and building relationships with members.

The Future

As the flexible workspace model becomes more mainstream, Essensys' solutions remain as crucial as ever. They provide the operational stability needed behind the scenes, enabling turnkey, move-in ready spaces for tenants.

Market Forecasts

The coworking market is expected to evolve further, with operators extending more amenities and services and an increased share of flex space in investment portfolios. Technology will play a significant role, with more operators dedicating resources to enterprise-grade technology.

Expansion of Coworking

Coworking is slowly making its way into non-traditional office spaces, rejuvenating retail and driving traffic to hotel lobbies. This trend is expected to continue, with more retail centres and malls potentially becoming coworking spaces in the future.

The Essensys Integration

Earlier this year, Greetly, a visitor management system, announced a direct integration with Essensys Operate, further enhancing the functionality and convenience of the Essensys offering.

In Conclusion

The story of Essensys is a testament to the power of vision, innovation, and determination. The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings, and its impact on the coworking industry is undeniable. As the industry continues to evolve, Essensys' commitment to simplifying and streamlining workspace operations remains stronger than ever.