Most companies that work in coworking spaces are pretty small — say, 1 to 10 employees. After all, coworking spaces are designed for entrepreneurs to work nearby other entrepreneurs in a collaborative environment. Once a company incubates for a few years they'll become successful, go on a hiring spree and move into their own office. But, more and more, this is not the case, and even larger, established tech companies are choosing to stay put in their coworking spaces.
We headed down to WeWork in the Financial District to meet with SeedInvest, a company doing just that. Alexandra Tynion, a Principal at the company, was nice enough to show us around.
You’d never know this office was inside a WeWork! It looks like you have an entire office built out in here. How long have you been in this space? We’ve been in WeWork for over two years. We started with 10 employees and now we’ve grown to almost 30! WeWork is great for startups – it’s flexible, community-driven and, of course, has all the fun amenities startups love… ping pong tables, weekly events, and free beer on tap.
What exactly is it that SeedInvest does? We are an equity crowdfunding platform — a two-sided marketplace serving both investors and entrepreneurs. It’s our job to make it easy for early-stage companies to raise capital from the crowd. And for investors, we give both unaccredited and accredited individuals the opportunity to invest in high-quality, vetted startups across a range of verticals.
I bet you see some exciting startups receiving funding through the site. Are there any that stand out to you as particularly cool? That’s like asking who my favorite child is… I can’t pick one! What sets SeedInvest apart is that we only accept one percent of companies that apply. Each company that raises capital on our platform is equally compelling.
What's the story behind the octopus? The octopus is a metaphor for the problems our entrepreneurs face and is the brainchild of our fabulous Design Director, AnMaree Williams. The octopus has many arms that are constantly juggling lots of different tasks from raising capital, to finding top-tier talent, and of course — running a business! At SeedInvest, it’s our mission to streamline the fundraising process so entrepreneurs can do what they do best … be the CEO! Having the octopus in the office is a constant reminder of the problem we are passionate about solving.
This place has amazing views. What’s the best part of working in FiDi? Besides how convenient it is, the best part is the irony. We are at the intersection of where old school finance meets new age technology. We are blocks away from some of the top financial firms in the world yet we are surrounded by some of the newest tech companies. Funny how things work out.
Know of a company that deserves coverage? Let us know or tweet us @builtinnewyork.
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