Edinburgh-based remote working platform SWURF has secured a £200,000 investment round to advance its plans to transform the Scottish capital into one of the most flexible, work-friendly cities in the world.
The funding will support the launch of SWURF Pods, the company’s private, on-demand meeting rooms designed for working professionals who require safe and quiet environments for calls, meetings and focused work on the go.
The investment round includes support from prominent industry figures such as Gareth Williams, one of Scotland’s most successful technology entrepreneurs, as well as hotel investor Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson, who owns several well-known venues in the city, including Boda BV, the Green Room and the Victoria Bar.
SWURF’s strategy focuses on creating a network of high-tech, bookable private pods in busy urban locations. These compact meeting rooms are designed to give remote workers instant access to private environments without the need for a traditional office.
Each pod features advanced soundproofing technology, private Wi-Fi networks with encrypted connections, ergonomic seats, air filtration systems and adaptive LED lighting to provide a professional environment for business meetings or focused work.
The pods are already installed at Edinburgh Airport and YOTEL Edinburgh, and the company plans to rapidly expand the network across the city.
SWURF’s long-term aim is to ensure that every worker in Edinburgh is within 15 minutes of a SWURF pod location, effectively transforming cafes, hotels and hospitality venues into a distributed workplace network.
In addition to the pods, SWURF operates a mobile platform that connects remote employees to locations across the city that enable flexible working.
Using the SWURF app, users can discover participating venues, check in digitally and access secure WiFi networks. The system also opens up perks and incentives at partner locations, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem between workers and hospitality businesses.
The platform currently lists more than 450 venues across Edinburgh, including locations such as The Hoxton Edinburgh, Crowne Plaza Edinburgh Royal Terrace and the Royal Scots Club.
There are now more than 14,000 users, known as ‘Swurfers’, registered on the platform and the community continues to grow as hybrid and remote working patterns become increasingly common in the UK workforce.
According to SWURF, its model is designed not only to support remote workers, but also to create new revenue streams for hotel companies.
By encouraging professionals to use cafes, hotels and bars as temporary workspaces during quieter hours, the company is estimated to have already contributed around £2 million to the local Edinburgh economy.
For venues, the model allows unused spaces to generate revenue during off-peak periods, while for workers it offers a wider range of flexible workspace options across the city.
Margaret Auld, general manager of YOTEL Edinburgh, said the pods had helped attract new visitors to the hotel while improving service for guests.
“The SWURF Pod is an excellent service we can offer our hotel guests and it also brings new people to our hotel,” she said.
SWURF was founded by CEO Nikki Gibson, a hospitality industry expert who saw an opportunity to connect remote professionals with existing urban venues rather than relying solely on traditional coworking offices.
Gibson said the company’s mission goes beyond simply providing desks or meeting rooms.
“People want more than just a place to sit with a laptop,” she said. “They need flexibility, security and inspiring environments that help them be productive.”
“Our aim is to make Edinburgh the global gold standard for flexible working. By expanding our host venue network and rolling out SWURF Pods across the city, we are transforming Edinburgh itself into a distributed office.”
The latest funding round follows a six-figure investment secured in 2025, which helped the company expand its venue network and grow its user base.
SWURF has also strengthened its leadership team with several high-profile industry representatives joining the board.
The board is chaired by Alison Grieve, an entrepreneur known for scaling global technology companies.
She will be joined by Scott Leckie, who moved from a part-time role as chief technology officer to a permanent board position, and Daniel Rodgers, the founder of Scottish hotel technology company QikServe.
The strengthened leadership team is expected to help SWURF expand its model beyond Edinburgh in the coming years.
The company’s expansion comes amid ongoing change in working habits across the UK.
Hybrid work arrangements have become the norm across many industries, driving growing demand for flexible meeting spaces, quiet work environments and secure connectivity outside of traditional offices.
Cities with strong digital infrastructure and dynamic hospitality sectors are increasingly positioning themselves as hubs for this new working model.
By combining technology, hospitality partnerships and purpose-built micro-workspaces, SWURF aims to put Edinburgh at the heart of this global shift.
The company believes that with new funding secured and additional pod locations planned, the Scottish capital could soon become a benchmark city for flexible, location-independent working.
