INTRODUCING EUROPE’S LARGEST COWORKING NETWORK: TALENT GARDEN CLOSES €12M FUNDING ROUND
- Coworking network Talent Garden has secured a €12M investment – the second largest round in Europe for a coworking provider
- Investors include Endeavor Catalyst (supported by LinkedIn), 500 Startups (venture capital fund) and Tamburi Investment Partners (Italy’s largest investment bank)
- Founded just five years ago Talent Garden is now Europe’s largest coworking network with 17 spaces across five countries
Milan, 15th November 2016 – Coworking network Talent Garden today announces a new €12M funding round. With investors including 500 Startups (leading global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator), Endeavor Catalyst (supported by LinkedIn) and Italy’s largest investment bank, Tamburi Investment Partners, it is the second largest investment made into a European coworking network.
By 2020 over half of all full time workers in the UK and the US will be freelance, according to recent forecasts. Coupled with a booming startup and SME scene this has generated an unprecedented rise in demand for coworking spaces over the past few years. But with US providers such as WeWork leading the way, Europe has yet to take centre stage, until now. Founded in Brescia – a small city in the North of Italy – Talent Garden has gone from startup to Europe’s largest coworking provider in just five years.
The Talent Garden network currently includes 17 coworking campuses which are home to a community of over 1500 digital professionals across five European countries (Italy, Spain, Albania, Romania and Lithuania), with on going openings in the DACH area, France and Spain. The business has also created the TAG Innovation School, an educational institute aimed at helping people and companies to grow and become leaders in an increasingly digital world. Moreover, every year Talent Garden network organises and hosts in its spaces more than 500 events on digital innovation and technology.
The new capital will fund Talent Garden’s further expansion into Europe, reaching a total of 70,000 square metres across the network and 8,000 users. Talent Garden’s expansion model focuses on up-and-coming cities in North and East Europe where technology and digital industries are booming. Talent Garden will also look to expand its already successful Innovation School, which had 250 graduates this year and is planning to open new branches around Europe, starting with Spain in 2017.
Talent Garden CEO and founder Davide Dattoli commented:
“We are delighted to have closed this funding round with a group of investors who are so supportive of our vision for the future of coworking. Our core philosophy is based on fostering innovation, embracing diversity, and tapping into the creative potential that is the lifeblood of the startup and the freelance economy. We are scaling to help digital talents achieve their potential and enter new markets, with ambitious growth aspirations akin to the likes of Deliveroo, Uber and Groupon.
That’s why we focus not only on providing the perfect spaces for people to work in, but also on building a platform for collaboration. This year alone we ran over 500 events, connecting individuals across our network with one another, and with larger corporates – such as IBM, Disney, Cisco and Vodafone – who recognise the value in working with smaller, more agile businesses.
In just five years we’ve grown from fledgling business to Europe’s largest coworking network, with over 1,500 professionals using our campuses across Europe, and we’re showing no signs of slowing. Talent Garden is fully in bloom!”
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About Talent Garden
Talent Garden provides a physical platform for digital, tech and creative professionals to work, learn and connect. It includes a network of 17 coworking campuses across Europe. These spaces are open 24/7, and are designed to celebrate and accelerate digital innovation, connecting talented individuals, startups, investors and corporates. Over 1,500 digital and technology professionals use Talent Garden’s campuses.
Pictures:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ca05gvt1aj4hzek/AACnMO-llEO9tvl8m9PMvcCua?dl=0 Â Â
Management Team picture – left to right: Rasa Strumskyte (Chief Marketing Officer), Alessandro Rimassa (Director TAG Innovation School), Edoardo Raimondi (Chief Financial Officer), Lorenzo Maternini (Vice President) and Cesare Sironi (Board Member). Sitting: Davide Dattoli (President and CEO)
