Munich Startup: When we last Spoken in early 2020 You said that Shareyourspace wants to make the real estate industry more sustainable. Have you made any progress toward this goal?
Tobias Wagner, Shareyourspace: That's us. The Shareyourspace mission "Boosting Flexibility and Sustainability in the Office World" is gaining increasing relevance and attention not only in terms of flexibility, but also in terms of sustainability – in the real estate market as a whole. Of course, this is not just because of Shareyourspace, but we are contributing to this with our argument for better utilization of existing space through Sharing We're making our modest contribution. It's immediately clear to everyone: the most sustainable building is the one that isn't built! The best commute is a short one!
Shareyourspace: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”
Munich Startup: What obstacles did you encounter along the way?
Tobias Wagner: There's a reason why the real estate world is less digital and revolutionary than other industries. There isn't just one real estate world, but rather a multitude of different roles, actors, and business models, and thus, a correspondingly large number of sub-worlds. An asset manager has little in common with a corporate real estate manager. Against this backdrop, sales, communication, and scaling are challenges that should not be underestimated for any PropTech. This also applies to Shareyourspace.
In the European, and especially German, real estate world, the willingness and desire for innovation and change are not very strong. Perhaps understandably, given that traditional models have been comfortably profitable for years. However, this can also lead to the squandering of business potential and the future.
Munich Startup: How has your solution evolved?
Tobias Wagner: We have been working on improving our service and processes. The content posted by Shareyourspace customers on our marketplace has also been Workspace-offerings have naturally become larger and more exciting because they are more heterogeneous. You can now even rent mountain huts and boats as workspace. Furthermore, we are committed to our positioning – not a niche, but all use cases – and our basic principle "Airbnb for the office world"It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Investors in Europe lack courage
Munich Startup: And how are things looking financially for you?
Tobias Wagner: We launched the marketplace shortly before the coronavirus pandemic, with all the resulting pain. But we survived the freeze and are still alive and kicking. Investors and team are convinced of the purpose and necessity of our project and are committed accordingly. Of course, a really large Growth financing and blitzscaling. The US is setting an example for the Europeans. And then we all wonder every time why the tech heavyweights are emerging across the Atlantic. There's a lot of talk here, little action. There's a lack of courage and strategic vision.
Munich Startup: What learnings have you as a founding team learned so far?
Tobias Wagner: Shareyourspace is not our first FoundingBut of course, every startup is a new adventure with its own challenges, surprises, and devils in the details. One positive lesson we've learned in this specific case is that our view of the office market and the need for sharing and new work is increasingly being confirmed. One negative lesson we've learned once again is that everything takes longer than expected, and the path from word of mouth to action—from words to action—is long in the traditional real estate world.
Joining forces with established market players
Munich Startup: What role has the Munich ecosystem played in your journey so far?
Tobias Wagner: We deliberately founded our company in Munich. Munich is one of Germany's most important office locations and a major metropolitan region. Furthermore, with our workspace providers in peripheral areas and the region, we can contribute to easing the urban-rural conflict and, in some cases, reduce work-related commuting. We are also involved in the project Spaces4Scaleups, a fantastic initiative from the Munich Economic Development Agency. It's all about providing fledgling startups and smaller growth companies with Office-as-a-Service quickly and easily. You at Munich Startup are another exciting building block in the ecosystem.
Munich Startup: What milestones are you working towards next?
Tobias Wagner: We are working on strategic partnerships that make sense for the industry. The establishment of a digital marketplace requires close collaboration with established market players! This would accelerate the development of the market for flexible workspace rental and leasing. Back to your initial question: Sustainability is needed now; climate protection cannot wait!
