Skyscanner co-founder Gareth Williams and Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson, co-founder of Edinburgh’s Boda Bar Group, have invested a six-figure sum in a Scottish start-up looking to capitalise on the growing trend for remote working.
The investment marks the first external funding raised by Swurf, which was set up in Edinburgh last year by events and marketing professional Nikki Gibson. The money will be used to appoint a new director in Leeds as Swurf seeks to expand into England and then globally.
Described as an app for “work-surfing”, Swurf connects individuals with hotels, bars and restaurants keen to host remote workers looking to network with other professionals outside the home. Ms Gibson spotted a gap in the market for this service when large numbers of people were working remotely during the pandemic, and venues were conversely looking for new ways to generate footfall.
“I realised people wanted somewhere they could go to work and connect with others, away from their own four walls, and venues were looking for new ways to bring in clients and generate business,” she said.
“The Swurf model has worked well and we continue to sign up new hosts and users across the UK as we build up our community, with an eye on global expansion. Our vision is to have a virtual network of international Swurfers.”
More than 2,500 people to date have downloaded the app, which currently has more than 100 host venues in cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Manchester. Big names among hosts include Moxy Hotels, Dakota, Chaopraya and Village Hotels.
The Boda Bars business was the first host to sign up. Ms Christopherson, who has joined Swurf as a director, said the app is a “win-win” in terms of value for both venues and individuals.
“Based on the success in its first year, I didn’t hesitate in deciding to invest in Swurf to support its growth across the UK and then internationally,” she said.
“I’ve worked in hospitality for more than 20 years and Swurf is an excellent way for venues to attract customers during quieter times when they are open and paying staff. This challenge of low footfall obviously came to the fore during the pandemic, but it is a constant issue for the hospitality sector, especially as outgoings such as fuel bills and supplier costs increase.”
The app is free to download for users who can search for safe spaces where they can work and connect in their local neighbourhoods or further afield. Hosts pay an annual subscription.
READ MORE: Skyscanner co-founder Gareth Williams invests in Edinburgh carbon footprint app maker Pawprint
Ms Gibson self-funded the business prior to this investment round with support from a Digital Boost Grant. Expansion plans include the launch of additional services such as exclusive promotions with venues and specially-tailored additions for the app.
“Getting investment from Gareth and Anna represents a major step forward for Swurf as we continue to expand quickly,” Ms Gibson added. “It’s great that successful investors and entrepreneurs of their calibre have chosen to support Swurf and have bought into our ambitious plans.”
Mr Williams, who is involved with a number of technology start-ups in Scotland, said he was attracted to Swurf because it “has a real purpose, fills a gap and is building a community”.
“I can see similarities between the Swurf concept and that of the Skyscanner business I co-founded which shook up the travel booking market and has achieved global success,” he said. “Swurf is growing quickly and I can see the potential for it to be rolled out globally as remote working looks set to stay.”
Figures from the Office for National Statistics for May show that about a quarter of UK workers were adopting a hybrid model. With “no sign of a rush” back to full-time working in the office, Ms Gibson expects continuing demand from individuals looking for places to base themselves and connect with others.
Carla Godsman of Moxy Hotels said the group was "delighted" to be working with Swurf, which has allowed it to increase its profile in the local market and become the "go-to place" for those living within a 20-minute walking range.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here