Forward Space

What Forward Space does

Forward Space is a UK private company, founded in 2007, that designs, operates, and rents flexible workspace across eight buildings in the South West of England (Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, and Bristol). The portfolio emphasises physical differentiation — a Grade II listed former school and boxing club in Frome serves as headquarters, alongside shipping-container studios at Boxworks Bristol, a 1970s monolithic building at Hamilton House Stokes Croft, a Victorian restoration at Foundry Camborne, a former collar factory in Taunton, and Pixel, a three-storey creative space in Penzance. The product set spans Studios (£100–£700 per month), Coworking memberships (£5/hour PAYG through £150/month unlimited), Dedicated Desks (£200/month), Virtual Mailbox (£30/month), hourly Meeting Rooms (£15/hour), and Event Spaces (£20–£50/hour), all-inclusive of utilities and Wi-Fi.

The operating model is subscription-based, direct-to-consumer, community-led. Members get reciprocal access across all buildings and are targeted with member stories, workshops, and events (Clothes Swap, Improv Comedy, Ceramics Sales, Pixel Christmas Market). Underlying technology is the Coherent account system handling membership, booking, and post-handling — there is no proprietary platform or AI/ML capability disclosed. Distribution is via website enquiries, on-site tours, and a Mailchimp newsletter; no enterprise sales channel. Customer segments include freelancers and creative professionals (primary), small and growing teams (primary), event organisers (secondary), and remote businesses needing address registration (secondary, served via Virtual Mailbox). No funding rounds, parent company, or acquisitions are disclosed; the company operates as a self-funded, founder-led (Gavin Eddy, Founder & CEO) regional operator with a 1–10 employee headcount.

Name

Forward Space

Legal name

Forward Space

Website

https://forwardspace.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forward Space is a UK private operator of design-led flexible workspaces — studios, coworking, dedicated desks, meeting rooms, event spaces, and virtual mailbox — across eight locations in the South West of England, serving freelancers, creative professionals, and small teams with all-inclusive monthly memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flexible Workspace Services

NAICS

Facilities Support Services (561210)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid Work Enablement & Desk/Room Booking Operations (BPABAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Room & Meeting Services Support (BPABAEAE), Venue & Facility Reservations (Private Rooms, Event Spaces) (HSACALAJ)

Keywords

• Flexible workspace
• Coworking spaces
• Office rentals
• Shared workspaces
• Creative workspace

Headquarters

HQ city

Frome

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Studio Rentals: Private and shared studio spaces rented on flexible monthly terms with utilities included. Studios range from compact spaces for individuals to larger spaces for teams, with pricing based on size and location within the building.
2. Dedicated Desks: Reserved desk spaces with 24/7 access, lockable storage, and business address registration. Monthly subscription model with utilities and meeting room hours included.
3. Coworking Memberships: Pay-as-you-go and monthly coworking memberships providing access to shared workspace with WiFi, tea and coffee. Tiers include flexible hourly, monthly connected (8 hours), one day (36 hours), two day (72 hours), and unlimited (full-time) options.
4. Virtual Mailbox: Business address registration service with post handling and secure mailbox storage. Monthly subscription with annual admin fee for compliance checks.
5. Meeting Room & Event Space Hire: Hourly rental of meeting rooms and event spaces. Meeting rooms suitable for 6-8 people, event spaces accommodate up to 100+ for exhibitions, workshops, gigs, and exhibitions. Catering packages available as add-ons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forward Space provides flexible workspace solutions including private studios, coworking memberships, dedicated desks, virtual mailbox services, meeting room hire, and event space hire across eight locations in the South West of England. Memberships range from pay-as-you-go access to monthly subscriptions, with all utilities, internet, and flexible upgrade/downgrade terms included.

Product overview

Forward Space is a workspace provider offering a portfolio of flexible workspace solutions across multiple UK locations in Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset. The core offering includes Studios (private lockable spaces for individuals and teams), Coworking (shared flexible workspace), Dedicated Desks (personal desk space with 24/7 access), Virtual Mailbox (business address registration and post handling), Meeting Rooms (bookable spaces with AV equipment), and Event Spaces (flexible venues for workshops, talks, and exhibitions). The products range from pay-as-you-go options to monthly memberships and are designed to accommodate freelancers, creative professionals, and growing teams with flexible terms allowing upgrades or downgrades as needed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studios Private, lockable studio spaces for individuals and teams, available in various sizes from compact workpods for two to larger spaces. Studios include 24/7 access, utilities (heating, lighting, electricity, internet), business address registration, and flexible terms allowing upgrades or downgrades. Shared studio versions are also available for artists and makers who want privacy with community benefits.
• Coworking Memberships Shared coworking space access with pay-as-you-go and monthly membership options. Includes fast WiFi, tea and coffee, ergonomic chairs, and access to community areas. Tiers include PAYG (£5+VAT/hour), Connected 8hrs/month (£25+VAT), One Day 36hrs/month (£75+VAT), Two Day 72hrs/month (£100+VAT), and Unlimited full-time (£150+VAT/month Mon-Fri 08:30-17:30).
• Dedicated Desks A personal, reserved desk space with 24/7 access, lockable storage, and the ability to leave belongings. Includes 8 hours per month of meeting room use, post handling, and business address registration. Priced at £200+VAT per month.
• Virtual Mailbox Business address registration service at one of Forward Space's buildings with post sorting, secure storage, and collection Monday to Friday 08:30-17:30. Priced at £30+VAT per month with a £50+VAT annual compliance check fee. Members receive a 25% discount on meeting rooms and event spaces.
• Meeting Rooms Bookable meeting rooms equipped with TV screens and superfast WiFi, suitable for 6-8 people (16 sqm at Pixel). Available by the hour from £15+VAT per hour with optional catering packages. Virtual Mailbox members receive a 25% discount.
• Event Spaces Flexible event and gallery hire spaces suitable for workshops, talks, exhibitions, gigs, and activities. Bookable by the hour from £20+VAT/hour (general) to £50+VAT/hour (Pixel 65 sqm), with capacities up to 100 standing or 50 seated. Catering packages available. Day hire runs 08:30-17:30.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Town Deal ProgrammeminorOthersFoundry in Camborne is part of the Town Deal programme, a government initiative supporting town centre regeneration through investment in infrastructure, skills, and local projects.
• Surfers Against SewageminorOthersEnvironmental charity partnership. Pixel Christmas Market fundraiser raised £898 for Surfers Against Sewage, a marine conservation organisation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Office Group (TOG): UK flexible workspace provider offering coworking, private offices, meeting rooms, and event spaces across multiple cities. Closest direct competitor to Forward Space by product mix (studios, coworking, meeting/event hire) and target customer (SMBs and professionals), though operating at larger scale and broader geography.
• Runway East: UK flexible workspace provider targeting startups and scale-ups with coworking, private offices, and event programmes. Comparable by product mix (coworking, studios, event space) and customer segment (growing teams and founders), though focused on London and selected cities.
• Second Home: Design-led, creative-focused flexible workspace operator known for distinctive interiors and curated programming. Highly comparable to Forward Space on aesthetic positioning, creative-professional target market, and event/community-led member experience.
• TownSq: UK regional flexible workspace operator offering coworking and private offices across multiple UK towns. Comparable business model and SMB/creative target market to Forward Space, with a similar regional-multi-location growth strategy.
• Areaworks: UK flexible workspace provider offering coworking, dedicated desks, and meeting rooms in regional locations. Closely comparable to Forward Space in regional UK focus, SMB target market, and product offering (studios, desks, meeting/event hire).

Broad incumbents

• IWG (Regus, Spaces, HQ): World's largest flexible workspace operator with extensive UK footprint under brands including Regus, Spaces, and HQ. Competes with Forward Space on flexible workspace for SMBs and freelancers and represents the dominant incumbent in the broader UK market Forward Space serves.
• Workspace Group: London-focused flexible office provider offering design-led workspace for SMEs and creative businesses. Comparable to Forward Space in targeting design-conscious SMB and creative tenants, but concentrated in London rather than South West regional towns.
• WeWork: Global coworking and flexible office brand with presence across major UK cities. Direct competitor in shared workspace, dedicated desks, and meeting rooms for freelancers and small teams, with substantially larger brand and capital base.

Emerging players

• x+why: UK purpose-driven flexible workspace operator with focus on sustainability and community. Comparable on values-led, design-conscious positioning and SMB/startup customer segment, though operating on a smaller scale and in fewer cities.
• Mindspace: Premium flexible workspace provider operating in select UK and European cities with design-led interiors and member programming. Comparable to Forward Space in aesthetic differentiation, community focus, and SMB/professional customer targeting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/forwardspace
• Facebookfacebook.com/forwardspaceuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forward-space-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Forward Space