BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Knotel, the leading agile workspace platform, announced today that it has acquired Ahoy!Berlin, a workspace operator in Berlin, Germany. The deal marks the latest step in Knotel’s expansion in Europe - first in London, in the first quarter of 2018, and now Berlin, one of the hottest markets for growing companies.
“Welcome to the zukunft, Berlin!” said Amol Sarva, co-founder and CEO of Knotel. “Many innovative CEOs have been making Berlin their HQ. Now they have the first of many agile offices to locate and achieve their ambitions. Wherever office works, Knotel works better.”
Ahoy, which operates a nautical-themed space to underscore its mission of helping guide companies as they grow, is located near Berlin’s historic Mitte district and boasts clients such as Daimler-backed Fleetboard Innovation Hub, and Bringmeister, an online food and home delivery service.
The acquisition provides Knotel with a central base on which to scale rapidly in this market, which has seen overall funding for startups increase by 88% to $5.2 billion last year. Knotel’s plans for Germany are as ambitious as they are in the U.S., where the company operates 55 locations across over 1 million square feet, a milestone reached nearly 2 years faster than its largest competitor. In New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, for example, Knotel was responsible for 20% of all deal activity.
Founded in 2012 by Nikita Roshkow and Nikolas Woischnik, who previously launched the entrepreneurship community TechBerlin, Ahoy!Berlin is known for connecting founders with collaborators and investors, and offering its members additional services like event management and legal advice.
Knotel’s executive team has a lot of experience in the German market, including an earlier investment in Delivery Hero, which became Europe’s largest tech IPO in history.
Knotel co-founder and chairman Edward Shenderovich commented, "Having backed a number of companies in Berlin, including Delivery Hero, which grew out of every space they could find, I know firsthand what a strong market this is for high-growth companies and how difficult it is to find the right platform to scale office. We are very excited to be able to bring our unique offering to Berlin and the greater German market."
“We’re thrilled to join up with Knotel and expand deeper in Berlin and beyond,” says Nikita Roshkow, co-founder and CEO of Ahoy!Berlin. “What they’ve achieved in a short period, combined with our local expertise, is a signal for the exciting growth ahead.”
About Knotel
Knotel is transforming the office market with its Agile HQ™ Platform. Making long-term leases a thing of the past, Knotel designs, builds, and operates custom spaces for established and growing brands, so they can be free to grow at will and build what’s never been built.
Named a Business Insider Top 50 Startup and New York's Hottest New Workspace Model, Knotel has 55 locations across over 1 million square feet in New York, San Francisco, and London. Founded in 2016, Knotel has raised over $100 million in funding. Knotel’s network includes companies like Starbucks, Cheddar and King. Visit www.Knotel.com.
