A startup's guide to office space

Rising requirement for office space seen as entrepreneurs seek their own headquarters.

Stage (funding)	Business activity	Suitable workspace
Pre-seed (Bootstrapped, self-financed, or funds borrowed from friends and family)	Founder(s) working together. Basic requirements: Laptops, internet connection	Home, self-owned space, seats in friends’ or relatives’ office
Seed stage (incubators, bank or government loans, angel investors, or crowdfunding)	Few employees work towards establishing proof of concept. Basic requirements: Desks, laptops, internet connection	Co-working
Venture capital (Series A)	Formal launch of a product/ service. Basic requirements: Desks, reception area, laptops, internet connection	Co-working, flex space, or a leased office
Venture capital (Series B, C, etc.)	Focus is on growth, scaling the business and establishing offices at multiple locations	Leased offices or managed offices for headquarters. Could need regional offices in other cities
Exit stage (M&A or IPO)	The business is mature but still growing. The focus is on efficiency and synergies and being close to customers’ location	Headquarters with multiple floors in a building or a company campus. Bigger regional offices

Stage (funding)

Business activity

Suitable workspace

Pre-seed (Bootstrapped, self-financed, or funds borrowed from friends and family)

Founder(s) working together. Basic requirements: Laptops, internet connection

Home, self-owned space, seats in friends’ or relatives’ office

Seed stage (incubators, bank or government loans, angel investors, or crowdfunding)

Few employees work towards establishing proof of concept. Basic requirements: Desks, laptops, internet connection

Co-working

Venture capital (Series A)

Formal launch of a product/ service. Basic requirements: Desks, reception area, laptops, internet connection

Co-working, flex space, or a leased office

Venture capital (Series B, C, etc.)

Focus is on growth, scaling the business and establishing offices at multiple locations

Leased offices or managed offices for headquarters. Could need regional offices in other cities

Exit stage (M&A or IPO)

The business is mature but still growing. The focus is on efficiency and synergies and being close to customers’ location

Headquarters with multiple floors in a building or a company campus. Bigger regional offices

Looking for more insights? Never miss an update.