Swurf is a platform where remote workers can find inspiring, social spaces to work from on demand, while giving these venues a new revenue stream.
See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index.
Founder: Nikki Gibson
Year founded: 2020
Website: swurf.co
One of the perks of more flexible working is the ability to work from spaces other than an office – but finding an energising, interesting spot can be tricky. This is where SWURF, the marketplace platform for spaces to work in on-demand, comes to shine.
The idea for SWURF came to founder Nikki Gibson in the midst of the pandemic. Friends and colleagues were struggling, not just with working from makeshift desks at home, but also with the loneliness of remote work. Hospitality venues were struggling too, with few customers coming through their doors.
SWURF looks to solve both of these issues at once. Based in Edinburgh, the platform connects remote workers with hotels, cafés, and community hubs across the city. It introduces workers to affordable, social, attractive workspaces, while enabling venues to gain revenue from their underused spaces and bring them back to life.
Gibson’s biggest challenge in launching SWURF was navigating a rapidly evolving industry as a non-technical founder, for whom the world of apps, booking systems, and platform design was completely new.
To overcome this, Gibson surrounded herself with talented technologists and designers who shared her vision, listened to SWURF’s early users, and iterated quickly based on their feedback. She invested significant time in R&D, testing different ways for venues and users to interact and generate revenue. This culminated in the launch of SWURF Pods – smart bookable spaces.
Since launching SWURF, the team has focused on strategic partnerships that validate its model and expand its reach. The business is working with Edinburgh International Airport and YOTEL Edinburgh, where it has launched and installed SWURF Pods. Other partners include Kew Green Hotels and brands like IHG and Hilton.
Gibson’s five year goal for SWURF is for it to become the go-to platform for on-demand spaces to work worldwide, with a goal to scale through the deployment of 5,000 SWURF Pods across the globe.
View the full Startups 100 Index for 2026
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