Lisbon Art Center & Studios - LACS

What Lisbon Art Center & Studios - LACS does

LACS (Lisbon Art Center & Studios) is a Portuguese flexible workspace operator that converts architecturally significant historic buildings into coworking, private office, virtual office, meeting, and event venues. Operating under the legal entity EMPATHY TALENT, LDA. (NIPC 513507728), the company runs five locations across three Portuguese markets: three in Lisbon (Anjos, Conde d'Óbidos, and Santos), one in Cascais, and one in Porto. The portfolio includes large heritage conversions—Conde d'Óbidos is a 5,000 m² former port-worker canteen and the Porto site occupies 7,800 m² across eight floors of the BOC Boavista Office Center, with Vhils art installations on every floor. Each location carries a distinct design signature (Joana Astolfi interiors at Santos, Frederico Valsassina architecture at Cascais) and sustainability credentials (BREEAM Excellent at Porto, 100% renewable energy at Cascais). The company targets freelancers, digital nomads, startups, SMEs, creative professionals, and, to a lesser extent, enterprises seeking satellite or project offices in Portugal.

The product portfolio spans six lines: private offices (from €250–275 per person per month), tiered coworking memberships (Fix Desk €290/month, Flex Desk €220/month, Weekly €70, Daily €20), hourly meeting room rentals (€20–25/hour), Virtual Office subscriptions (€45/month for a business address and front desk), event space rentals (rooftops, terraces, gardens, auditoriums), and Atelier creative workspaces at Conde d'Óbidos. Underlying infrastructure is conventional real-estate operations—high-speed internet, equipped meeting rooms, CCTV security, climate control, EV charging—differentiated primarily by the heritage buildings and curated art and design elements rather than proprietary technology.

LACS monetizes predominantly through recurring monthly subscriptions (private offices, coworking memberships, virtual offices) supplemented by usage-based revenue (meeting rooms) and event bookings. Go-to-market combines direct sales with on-site visits, phone and email inquiries, and a community-led model built around exclusive events (Morning Lovers, Happy Hours, workshops) and a partner perks ecosystem of more than 40 local brands across food, wellness, hospitality, and mobility. Marketing is digital-first via website, social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and a newsletter, with member referrals as a meaningful bottom-of-funnel channel. The company operates without disclosed external venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Lisbon Art Center & Studios - LACS

Legal name

EMPATHY TALENT, LDA.

Website

https://lacs.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LACS operates five flexible workspace locations across Lisbon, Cascais, and Porto, converting historic Portuguese buildings into coworking, private office, virtual office, and event venues for freelancers, SMEs, and creative professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flexible Workspace / Coworking Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Coworking Cafes / Work Cafes (THAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Venue & Facility Reservations (Private Rooms, Event Spaces) (HSACALAJ)

Keywords

• Flexible workspaces
• Coworking memberships
• Private office rentals
• Virtual office services
• Event space rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private Office Rentals: Monthly rental of dedicated private office spaces for teams. Pricing varies by location (Lisbon, Cascais, Porto) with 24/7 access, meeting room credits, and parking options.
2. Coworking Membership Plans: Multiple tiered plans including Fix Desk (dedicated permanent space), Flex Desk (shared hot-desking), Weekly Plan, and Daily Plan. Members get access to all LACS locations depending on plan tier.
3. Meeting Room Rentals: Hourly rental of equipped meeting rooms with multimedia TV, whiteboard, refreshments. Members receive discounted rates.
4. Virtual Office Services: Monthly subscription providing a professional business address, mail handling, front desk services, and access to LACS community events with meeting room discounts.
5. Event Space Rentals: Corporate event venues including rooftops, terraces, gardens, lounges, and auditoriums across all LACS locations. Price varies by location and space type.
6. Atelier Spaces: Creative workspace for entrepreneurs and freelancers, available at LACS Conde d'Óbidos location.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lisbon Art Center & Studios (LACS) operates a network of flexible workspaces across Portugal, providing private offices, coworking desks, virtual office services, meeting rooms, event spaces, and an atelier-style studio. The company sells monthly memberships, daily/weekly passes, and on-demand room rentals to professionals, freelancers, startups, SMEs, and enterprises. LACS also hosts cultural and creative events through dedicated event venues under its brand.

Product overview

LACS is a flexible workspace and coworking provider operating five locations in Portugal (Lisbon, Cascais, and Porto). The portfolio consists of Escritório Privado (Private Office) for dedicated team spaces, Planos Cowork covering hot-desking and dedicated desk options, Morada Virtual (Virtual Office) for professional business addresses, Salas de Reunião (Meeting Rooms) for hourly rental, Espaços de Eventos (Event Spaces) for corporate venues, and Atelier spaces for creative professionals. The offering spans from entry-level daily coworking passes to fully customizable private office solutions, unified by a focus on historic building locations with cultural character.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Escritório Privado (Private Office) Fully serviced private offices for teams and companies requiring dedicated space within LACS locations across Portugal.
• Planos Cowork (Cowork Plans) Subscription-based coworking memberships (Fixed Desk, Flex Desk, Weekly, and Daily passes) for individuals and freelancers needing shared workspace access.
• Morada Virtual (Virtual Office) Virtual office service providing a professional business address and mail handling for remote workers, freelancers, and small businesses.
• Salas de Reunião (Meeting Rooms) Hourly or daily bookable meeting rooms for businesses and professionals needing on-demand space for meetings and presentations.
• Espaços de Eventos (Event Spaces) Dedicated event spaces available for rental for corporate events, cultural programming, and private functions across LACS locations.
• Atelier (Conde d'Óbidos) Creative atelier studio space at the Conde d'Óbidos location, tailored for artists, designers, and creative professionals.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Delta HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood distribution brand from Grupo Nabeiro offering member discounts on food products. Part of LACS member perks program providing exclusive offers to workspace members.
• Reformer LabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPilates reformer studio offering member discounts. Part of wellness perks program for LACS members to maintain fitness routines.
• Clínica LABminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedical clinic offering preventive, regenerative, and anti-aging care plus acupuncture, nutrition, and psychiatry services. Provides member health and wellness benefits.
• VivaGymminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading accessible fitness chain with modern spaces and varied classes. Provides gym membership discounts to LACS members.
• SantiniminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTraditional Portuguese artisan ice cream brand with 11 stores. Offers member discounts at their locations.
• JAM HotelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign-focused hotel brand with locations in Brussels, Lisbon, and Ghent. Offers accommodation discounts to LACS members.
• Fully Charged Ebikes CascaisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily-run ebike tour company offering tours of Cascais coast and Sintra trails. Provides mobility discounts to LACS Cascais members.
• SURFINminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of Portugal's oldest surf schools founded in 1998. Offers surf lesson discounts to members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Second Home: Creative-focused coworking operator known for design-forward, art-filled spaces in London, Lisbon, and other cities. Highly comparable to LACS given its design/artistic positioning, Lisbon presence, and 'creative community' brand DNA.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused coworking spaces with presence in Lisbon and other European cities. Comparable as a community-led coworking operator targeting purpose-driven entrepreneurs and creatives, similar to LACS's 'creators, innovators, visionaries' positioning.
• Knotel (Newmark): Flexible office space provider now part of Newmark, focused on HQ-as-a-service for mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable as an operator serving similar enterprise customers with subscription-based private office offerings.
• Mindspace: Premium flexible workspace provider with locations across Europe, Israel, and the US. Comparable as a premium-positioned coworking operator serving startups and enterprises with a similar product mix of private offices, coworking, and meeting rooms.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global coworking operator now emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring with continued presence in Lisbon. Comparable as a global coworking brand competing for the same enterprise and SMB flexible office demand pool LACS targets.
• Spaces (IWG brand): Premium creative-feel coworking brand within the IWG portfolio, including Lisbon and Porto locations. Comparable as a design-led, community-focused brand operating in the same Portuguese cities as LACS.
• JustCo: Asia-Pacific's leading flexible workspace provider with growing global presence. Comparable as a scaled coworking/flexible office operator serving similar SMB and enterprise customers with multi-location footprints in major cities.
• IWG: Global leader in flexible workspace (parent of Regus, Spaces, HQ brands) with thousands of locations worldwide including Lisbon and Porto. Comparable as the scaled incumbent LACS competes against for the same flexible office demand in Portugal.

Emerging players

• Selina: Lifestyle hospitality brand combining hostels, coworking, and wellness for digital nomads and remote workers globally. Comparable as an operator targeting the same digital nomad/freelancer segment with overlapping community and experiential positioning.
• Hubud: Bali-based coworking space highly regarded in the digital nomad community. Comparable as an early mover capturing digital nomad and remote worker demand with strong community-focused positioning paralleling LACS's value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lisbonartcenterandstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10269478
• Instagraminstagram.com/lacscreators
• Xx.com/LACS_Lisbon

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Lisbon Art Center & Studios - LACS