Dreaming Big with Launch22 Coworking

Designed with collaboration in mind, Launch22 values an open environment where startups can flourish alongside each other.

In the midst of London’s 1,000+ coworking scene is Launch22, an award-winning work space with a commitment to supporting entrepreneurs through a tight-knit community, mentorship, and events.

With a hyper-focus on charity work and the success of their members, Launch22 has made a name for itself in the midst of a saturated and competitive industry. Run by Tom Previte and Federico Piccinini, this space has taken the city by storm and is gearing up for a year full of big plans.

How would you describe Launch22’s mission?

Launch22 was set-up with the aim of supporting entrepreneurs from all walks of life. As a registered charity, our focus has been to help people that are also facing barriers in work or entrepreneurship.

What’s the Launch22 community like? What sorts of industries, companies, or connections are here?

We like to consider ourselves as a family. Our members are our friends. Launch22 is sector-agnostic so we have anything from charities to high-growth tech startups across all industries!

Are there any fun events or meetups in Launch 22 you can tell us about?

You bet there are! We have a 5-a-side league going on, weekly mindfulness sessions, N64 Mario Kart tournaments, Hackathons and parties!

What’s your favorite part about being part of Launch22?

We are in the fortunate position of being surrounded by incredibly driven individuals who have all put a lot on the line to pursue their passions. It's a unique working environment, one that is disciplined but also relaxed as everyone dictates their own terms. Another aspect we love is how open Launch22 is. Everyone is encouraged to talk about their mistakes, give suggestions, and help.

We really love the space. It’s so open and it really looks like it had a bit of history. Can you tell us more on the design or any fun elements you enjoy?

Where do we start! Launch22’s current home in Kings Cross used to be a Baptist Church. I believe we are one of the only work spaces that call a church our home? Our previous site in Shoreditch in London had a 10-metre long table which we brought with us!

We designed the space with collaboration in mind. There are no private offices as we feel that all our startups benefit from an open environment. We have grass in the office too! Our chill-out area is turfed and fit with game consoles and beanbags for our members to relax and take a well-earned time-out. Did I forget to mention the house dogs?

What’s the neighbourhood Finsbury like? Are there any favorite spots for happy hours or lunch for the Launch22 community?

I’ll let our centre manager - Federico take care of this as he has some great suggestions.

“Definitely go to Exmouth Market or Leather Lane Market for some amazing street food. Also… as I’m Italian I have a few suggestions. First is Il Macellaio, where they have amazing meat but also, for few pounds you can have a proper Negroni or Spritz for a cool aperitivo! Otherwise Sport Bar is quite nice! For nights out we go to Big Chill. Panzo is amazing for pizzas, or “pinzas” as they call it.”

Where do you think the future of work is going? How will spaces like Launch22 come into play?

We believe that the concept of coworking will become the norm in the corporate world as much as it is adopted in the startup world. There’s plenty of innovations occurring in the coworking scene and becoming ever more present is the rise of co-living spaces. In its current form, we believe that these are more of a fad, however, we predict that the next innovation will be linking coworking with business travel. A model which covers all aspects, from your office to your transport and accommodation when you are away.

Smaller spaces like Launch22 will always have a place, however, competition is high. London, in particular, has over 1000 coworking style spaces available. Each space needs to differentiate its offering in order to thrive. For Launch22, our charitable status and focus on supporting the entrepreneurs through programmes and mentoring gives us that.

Anything coming up for Launch22 you want to share about?

We have some BIG plans for 2019, we can’t give away too much but… expect new programmes and new locations!