How Hotdesk Takes Co-Working to the Next Level
Company Story
At STEP 2023, our CEO and Co-Founder Mohamed Khaled sat down to share the story behind Hotdesk — from the eureka moment that started it all, to how we grew from 15 bookings a month to over 10,000, and why we believe the workspace spectrum is the future of work.
Key Takeaways
- Hotdesk was inspired by a consulting career that gave Mohamed office access in 158 countries — the eureka moment behind building the “Airbnb of offices.”
- The platform grew from 15 bookings/month at launch (September 2021) to 10,000+ bookings/month across 40 countries and 186 cities.
- Hotdesk evolved from a consumer app to an enterprise platform after Fortune 500 companies came knocking with hybrid workforce challenges.
- Hotdesk OS — a free tool for coworking operators — handles invoicing, accounting, data analytics, and calendars in one platform.
- The workspace spectrum (office, home, co-working, metaverse) is the framework for the future of where people work.
The Eureka Moment
Mohamed started his career in consulting, a job that required traveling around the world. One late night, it hit him: he had office access in 158 countries worldwide with a single pass. That was the eureka moment behind the concept of Hotdesk.
When Hotdesk started, it was primarily considered the “Airbnb of offices” — a simple aggregation play where coworking spaces from different brands around the world were connected in a single app. Users could book desks, meeting rooms, and offices anytime, anywhere.
From 15 to 10,000 Bookings a Month
Hotdesk launched in September 2021 and grew from 15 bookings a month to over 10,000 bookings a month across 40 countries and 186 cities. The growth came down to solving a genuine pain point at the right time.
The world went from Work 1.0 — where everybody went to the office — to Work 2.0 — where everybody worked at home — to the current hybrid model. Hotdesk arrived at the exact moment when people and businesses needed a platform to navigate this shift.
| Metric | At Launch (Sep 2021) | Within One Year |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Bookings | 15 | 10,000+ |
| Countries | Starting in UAE | 40 |
| Cities | Dubai-focused | 186 |
The Enterprise Pivot
Hotdesk started with a consumer angle — individuals and SMEs booking spaces on an app. But quickly, something unexpected happened. Fortune 500 companies started reaching out with a very different challenge.
Their message was clear: “We have 200,000 people worldwide and every day they’re randomly split between home, office, and co-working. We have no idea where our people are and if our offices are actually being used. Which floors do we keep?”
That demand pushed Hotdesk to adapt its technology to serve enterprise clients — a fundamental shift from consumer aggregation to enterprise workspace management.
Hotdesk’s Evolution
Phase 1: Consumer
- “Airbnb of offices” aggregation model
- Individuals and SMEs booking on an app
- Desks, meeting rooms, offices on demand
- Single-user booking experience
Phase 2: Enterprise
- Fortune 500 hybrid workforce management
- Office utilization data and analytics
- Multi-location, multi-country coordination
- Hotdesk OS for coworking operators
Hotdesk OS: Powering Coworking Operators
As the platform evolved, Hotdesk built its flagship product: Hotdesk OS. It’s a one-stop-shop that coworking spaces can use for everything — invoicing, accounting, data analytics, calendars, and more. Hotdesk provides this tool for free to help operators better manage their spaces and enhance their unit economics alongside the aggregator platform.
The offering expanded well beyond bookings. Hotdesk now aims to help coworking operators automate their entire space management.
What Is Hotdesk OS?
A free, all-in-one platform for coworking space operators. Handles invoicing, accounting, data analytics, calendars, and space management — designed to enhance unit economics and automate operations.
The Workspace Spectrum
Hotdesk believes in the workspace spectrum — a framework built on four distinct pillars: office, home, co-working, and the metaverse. All four will continue to be used at different intensity levels, depending on many factors: what industry you’re in, which company you work for, whether your job can be done remotely, how you feel on a specific day, the weather, the traffic, and more.
The future isn’t about choosing one pillar over another — it’s about having the infrastructure to move between them seamlessly.
| Workspace Pillar | Best For |
|---|---|
| Office | Team collaboration, company culture, structured meetings |
| Home | Deep focus, personal flexibility, zero commute |
| Co-working | On-demand professional space, networking, change of scenery |
| Metaverse | Virtual collaboration, global team interaction, emerging use cases |
The ESG Impact
Every day, employees make a decision about where they work on the workspace spectrum — informed by the policy of their company. Every choice has a CO2 emission impact depending on travel distance to and from a location.
In a simulation Hotdesk ran for a client, the results were staggering: if only 10% of their staff — 20,000 people — booked coworking spaces near their homes rather than commuting two hours to the office, they would save 40,000 hours a day. That translates to 7,500 years of commute time per year — for only 10% of the workforce.
The decisions companies make on how they implement their hybrid work strategy — that Hotdesk enables — can save tons of CO2 emissions. But the goal isn’t to put everyone on the couch. It’s about giving people the right options, in the right places, at the right time.
The ESG Math
10% of staff (20,000 people) booking coworking near home instead of commuting → 40,000 hours saved per day → 7,500 years of commute time saved per year. Smart hybrid strategy = massive CO2 reduction.
Press Coverage
Tahawul Tech: Read the full interview
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Hotdesk start?
Hotdesk was born from a eureka moment during CEO Mohamed Khaled’s consulting career, where he had office access in 158 countries worldwide with a single pass. That experience inspired the concept of an on-demand workspace booking platform — initially described as the “Airbnb of offices” — connecting coworking spaces around the world in a single app.
How fast did Hotdesk grow?
Hotdesk launched in September 2021 and grew from 15 bookings a month to over 10,000 bookings a month across 40 countries and 186 cities. The growth was driven by solving a real pain point at a time when the world was shifting from traditional office work to hybrid models.
What is Hotdesk OS?
Hotdesk OS is a flagship product — a one-stop-shop that coworking spaces can use for everything from invoicing and accounting to data analytics and calendars. Hotdesk provides this tool for free to help coworking operators better manage their spaces and enhance their unit economics alongside the aggregator platform.
What is the workspace spectrum?
The workspace spectrum is Hotdesk’s framework for understanding the future of work. It consists of four pillars: office, home, co-working, and the metaverse. All four will continue to be used at different intensity levels depending on factors like industry, company, job type, personal preference, and even the weather or traffic on a given day.
How does Hotdesk contribute to ESG and sustainability goals?
Hotdesk enables companies to reduce CO2 emissions through smarter hybrid work strategies. In a simulation for one client, if only 10% of their staff (20,000 people) booked coworking spaces near their homes instead of commuting two hours to the office, it would save 40,000 hours a day — translating to 7,500 years of commute time per year for just 10% of staff.
