The Commons

What The Commons does

The Commons is a privately held Australian premium coworking and flexible workspace operator headquartered in Melbourne, operating 19 locations across Melbourne and Sydney under The Commons brand, its sister brands Central House and Forum, and ancillary hospitality brands Commons Coffee, Commons Bar, and The Commons Health Club. Its core offerings span six membership tiers (Coworking, Private Office, Enterprise, On-Demand, Virtual Office) supported by 220+ meeting rooms, 14 event spaces, 8 podcast studios, 4 photography studios, and 2 movie theatres, with reciprocal member access across all sites under a single pass. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly and annual subscriptions, complemented by usage-based day passes and space hire, plus a structured member referral program that pays 10% of annual fees (capped at $5,000) for desk/office introductions.

The company's technology stack centres on Oreka, a proprietary all-in-one management platform developed in 2023 to optimise end-to-end flexible workspace operations and enable consistent multi-site deployment, supplemented by a member portal, iOS and Android mobile applications, and third-party Nirovision facial recognition for facility access. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, location-based walk-ins, website and inbound enquiry handling, phone/email inside sales, and the self-serve member app ecosystem. The customer base spans freelancers and solo professionals, growth-stage companies, and large enterprises including Sportsbet, PayPal, Spotify, Coles, Blackbird Ventures, LivePerson, Netball Australia, and ENGIE Impact, with enterprise customers typically scaling from open desks or private offices into multi-site, multi-pass allocations.

The business operates without external equity capital, having recorded only a nominal $25,000 LaunchVic grant in 2018, and is wholly owned under The Commons Cowork Holding Pty Ltd (ACN 612 577 134). Sister brands Central House and Forum are separate legal entities with no ownership ties to The Commons and are excluded from its B Corp certification. The company holds B Corp certification (2021), Great Place to Work certification, and was recognised in Australia's Best Workplaces for Women (2026), and has contributed over $1,070,180 through its Scholarship Program to charities and social enterprises.

Name

The Commons

Legal name

The Commons Cowork Holding Pty Ltd

Website

https://thecommons.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Commons is a privately held Australian premium coworking operator running 19 locations across Melbourne and Sydney, offering subscription memberships, private offices, enterprise solutions, and on-demand workspace, and serving freelancers, growth-stage companies, and large enterprises such as Sportsbet, PayPal, and Spotify.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coworking & Flexible Workspace

NAICS

Facilities Support Services (5612)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Access, Virtual Workspaces & Digital HQ (BPAMAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meeting & Event Space Services (Setup/Teardown) (BPABAFAL), Space & Occupancy Services (Move/Add/Change, Seating, Wayfinding) (IMAIALAF)

Keywords

• Flexible workspace solutions
• Coworking memberships
• Private office rentals
• Meeting room rentals
• Virtual office services

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Coworking Memberships: Subscription-based memberships providing access to shared workspaces, private offices, and enterprise solutions. Revenue is recurring and tiered based on membership type (Open Desk, Dedicated Desk, Private Office, Enterprise).
2. Space Hire: Revenue from renting meeting rooms, event spaces, photography studios, and podcast studios on an on-demand basis. Provides flexible, pay-per-use revenue alongside recurring memberships.
3. Virtual Office: Virtual office memberships providing business address and administrative services without physical desk allocation.
4. Referral Program: The company incentivizes existing members to refer new business, earning referral fees based on membership type signed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Commons operates a network of premium coworking and flexible workspaces across 19 locations in Melbourne and Sydney, offering tiered memberships (Coworking, Private Office, Enterprise, On-Demand, Virtual Office) and ancillary space hire (meeting rooms, event spaces, photography studios, podcast studios). It sells these memberships and space-rental services directly to individual professionals, startups, and large enterprises, providing 24/7 workspace access, reciprocal member benefits across locations, and supporting hospitality (Commons Coffee, Commons Bar).

Product overview

The Commons is a premium Australian coworking space operator offering flexible workspace solutions across 19 locations in Melbourne and Sydney. The core offering consists of six membership tiers (Coworking, Private Office, Enterprise, On-Demand, and Virtual Office) providing shared or dedicated workspace access with 24-7 availability. Space hire services include Meeting Rooms (220+ rooms), Event Spaces (14 venues), Photography Studios (4 studios), and Podcast Studios (8 studios). The company operates sister hospitality brands Commons Coffee and Commons Bar, and a separate brand The Commons Health Club. Members access facilities through a dedicated mobile app. The Commons Group has developed an internal technology platform called Oreka for workspace operations management. The company holds B Corp certification and Great Place to Work certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Commons Health Club: A health and wellness club operated by The Commons Group, offering fitness and wellness facilities.
• Commons Coffee
• Commons Bar

Products and services

• Coworking Membership Recurring membership providing 24/7 access to shared workspaces and all common areas across The Commons locations. Designed for freelancers, solo professionals, and small teams seeking flexible desk access without a dedicated space.
• Private Office Membership Recurring membership providing 24/7 access to a dedicated, enclosed private office space for teams requiring their own dedicated workspace. Available in multiple sizes across The Commons locations.
• Enterprise Membership Customized workspace solutions for large organizations, including dedicated Enterprise Suites, multi-location access, and bespoke configurations. Customers include Sportsbet, PayPal, Spotify, Bulla Dairy, ENGIE Impact, and Netball Australia.
• On-Demand Membership Flexible, pay-per-use access to day passes, meeting rooms, and facilities across all The Commons locations. Designed for hybrid teams and individuals needing occasional workspace (e.g., Houzz remote team, LivePerson's 90 Melbourne employees).
• Virtual Office Membership Professional business address and administrative services (e.g., mail handling) for remote businesses and distributed teams, without a physical desk allocation.
• Meeting Rooms Bookable meeting, conference, training, and workshop rooms available across all 19 locations, totaling over 220 rooms. Available to members and on-demand to non-members.
• Event Spaces Versatile event venues across multiple The Commons locations suitable for corporate events, launches, and gatherings, with 14 event spaces available network-wide.
• Photography Studios Fully fitted photography studio facilities available for hire across The Commons locations, with 4 studios network-wide.
• Podcast Studios Professional podcast recording studios available for hire across The Commons locations, with 8 studios network-wide.
• The Commons Member App Mobile application (iOS and Android) for members to check availability, book meeting rooms and day passes, receive event notifications, network with the community, and manage their membership.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of members are happier to come to work
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DesignOfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm responsible for designing multiple The Commons locations including George Street, Surry Hills, Collins Street, and Martin Place. The partnership focuses on creating thoughtfully designed workspaces that embody the brand's human-centered design philosophy.
• Deague GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty developer known for APSO and Art Series Hotels with 150 years of property industry experience. Partnership for Central House brand, providing executive workspaces targeting professional industries.
• FortiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty developers with $500M+ in completed residential and commercial projects and $224M more in development. Partnership for Forum brand, providing high-end workspace with premium amenities and luxury experience at city fringe locations.
• Brookfield Asset ManagementminorOthersMajor global alternative assets manager. Listed as a trusted partner/landlord relationship in the property network.
• DexusminorOthersAustralian real estate investment group. Listed as a trusted partner/landlord relationship in the property network.
• InvestaminorOthersAustralian property management and investment firm. Listed as a trusted partner/landlord relationship in the property network.
• LaSalle Investment ManagementminorOthersGlobal investment management firm specializing in real estate. Listed as a trusted partner/landlord relationship in the property network.
• CenturiaminorOthersAustralian property fund manager. Listed as a trusted partner/landlord relationship in the property network.
• Foolscap StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio collaborated with for The Commons South Yarra location. Designed spaces with iconic aesthetic featuring Indigenous Australian artist Jimmy Pike's designs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hub Australia: Australia's largest locally-headquartered coworking and flexible-workspace operator with multiple locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Direct competitor offering similar premium coworking, private office and enterprise solutions across overlapping customer segments.
• WOTSO: ASX-listed Australian flexible-workspace provider with a national network of coworking spaces, private offices and meeting rooms. Directly comparable business model of multi-location flexible workspace with enterprise and SME offerings.
• Workit Spaces: Australian flexible-workspace operator with locations in Sydney, Melbourne and other cities, offering coworking, serviced offices and virtual offices. Comparable to The Commons across membership tiers and target customer segments.
• Servcorp: ASX-listed Australian-origin provider of serviced offices, virtual offices, coworking and meeting rooms globally. Comparable product mix (especially Virtual Office membership) and enterprise customer base.
• Industrious: Premium US-headquartered flexible-workspace operator offering enterprise-grade coworking and private offices with hospitality-driven design. Highly comparable positioning to The Commons' design-led, community-focused premium model.

Broad incumbents

• Regus / Spaces (IWG): Global leader in flexible workspaces under brands including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature. Operates a much larger network worldwide including Australian CBDs, providing similar coworking, private office and virtual office products at multiple price points.
• WeWork: Global premium coworking brand operating large-format shared and private office locations worldwide, including Australia. Directly comparable premium positioning, design-led spaces, and enterprise sales motion.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global real estate services firm offering flexible-workspace, facilities management and workplace experience services to enterprise clients. Comparable in serving large enterprise tenants with hybrid-work solutions, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• CBRE Group: Global commercial real estate services firm with workplace and flexible-occupancy solutions serving enterprise occupiers in Australia. Adjacent competitor in the enterprise flexible-workspace segment.

Emerging players

• Mindspace: Premium European flexible-workspace provider with hospitality-inspired design and locations across Europe and the US. Comparable premium positioning and enterprise focus, though no Australian presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thecommons
• Xx.com/thecommons
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecommons

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Commons