Central Research Laboratory
Plus X Innovation operates UK innovation hubs in Brighton and Slough combining coworking workspace, prototyping workshops, photography/VR and podcast studios, event spaces, and structured accelerators for startups, scaleups, and creative professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersHayes, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Central Research Laboratory does
Central Research Laboratory (operationally branded as Plus X Innovation) operates UK-based innovation hubs that combine coworking workspace with heavy prototyping infrastructure and structured business support programmes. The company was founded in 2015 in Hayes and currently operates two physical locations: a flagship hub on Lewes Road in Brighton and a second hub at The Future Works in Slough opened in November 2023 in partnership with property investor AshbyCapital. Each site offers hotdesking, dedicated desks, private and studio offices, meeting rooms for 2-30 people, event spaces, a prototyping workshop with 3D printers, laser cutters, mills, a Fablab (part of the global Fablab network), wet labs, bio areas, spray booths, PCB rooms, plus a photography/VR studio and a podcast studio equipped with iMac Pro and Adobe/Logic Pro software. Revenue is generated across five streams: workspace subscriptions, meeting room hire, event space hire, innovation programmes (accelerators, investment clinics), and prototyping workshop access, with monthly recurring billing on memberships and one-time billing on event hires. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with a free coworking day offered as a tour incentive.
The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven: regular wellness and networking events, Coworking Week, a blog and case-study content engine, an email newsletter, and active social channels on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube drive top-of-funnel demand, while self-serve website booking and a member portal handle conversion and retention. Customers are segmented horizontally into startups and scaleups (primary), innovators and creatives (primary), corporate innovation teams (secondary), and property partners (secondary). The business is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listing; ownership and revenue figures are not in the public domain. Named member logos are limited to two early-stage hardware startups (Cricket Bat Company and Pacifi) and brand recognition is supported by awards from Property Week, Estates Gazette, Design Week Awards 2021, Architizer A+, and Company Culture Awards.
Central Research Laboratory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Central Research Laboratory
- Legal name
- Plus X Innovation
- Website
- https://centralresearchlaboratory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Plus X Innovation operates UK innovation hubs in Brighton and Slough combining coworking workspace, prototyping workshops, photography/VR and podcast studios, event spaces, and structured accelerators for startups, scaleups, and creative professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Central Research Laboratory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Innovation Hub and Coworking Services
- NAICS
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB)
Keywords
Where Central Research Laboratory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hayes
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Central Research Laboratory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Workspace Memberships: Flexible membership tiers including hotdesking, dedicated desks, private office space, and serviced offices with 24/7 building access. Revenue generated through monthly or annual subscription billing.
- Meeting Room Hire: Collaborative spaces designed for in-person or hybrid teams of 2-30 people available for hourly or daily booking.
- Event Space Hire: Dedicated event spaces for conferences, panels, and networking events available for hire.
- Innovation Programmes: Business support programmes including accelerators and expert clinics designed to help businesses grow, providing investment guidance and prototype development support.
- Prototyping Workshop Access: Access to state-of-the-art prototyping facilities and specialist workshop team for product development and batch production.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Coworking membership - flexible hotdesking and communal workspace access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Resident/Office Space membership - private offices for growing teams |
| Per seat | Pay-as-you-go | Day passes available |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Central Research Laboratory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Central Research Laboratory operates innovation hubs providing flexible workspace (coworking, private offices, studio offices, day passes), state-of-the-art prototyping and fabrication facilities (3D printers, laser cutters, mills, Fablab, wet labs, spray booths, PCB rooms), professional content creation studios (photography/VR studio, podcast studio), and business support innovation programmes including accelerators and expert clinics for hardware startups, designers, and makers.
Product overview
Plus X Innovation operates as an innovation hub platform offering physical workspace solutions and business support services across two UK locations (Brighton and Slough). The portfolio consists of workspace memberships (coworking, private offices, studio offices, day passes), professional facilities (prototyping workshop, photography/VR studio, podcast studio, meeting rooms, event space), and innovation programmes for business support. These offerings are designed to serve innovators, startups, scaling teams, and corporate clients seeking collaborative workspace and innovation support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coworking Membership Flexible workspace membership offering hotdesking and communal spaces for freelancers, startups, designers, makers, and remote workers with 24/7 access and community connection opportunities.
- Resident Office Space Membership Private, fully customisable office space for growing teams with flexible contracts, one monthly bill, and 24/7 access to the building.
- Studio Offices Purpose-built studio office spaces within the innovation hubs designed for creative professionals and small teams.
- Day Passes Single-day access to workspace facilities including hotdesking, meeting rooms, and communal areas for visitors and trial users.
- Meeting Rooms Collaborative spaces designed for in-person or hybrid teams of 2-30 people available for booking.
- Prototyping Workshop State-of-the-art prototyping, product development, and batch production facilities including heavy workshops with 3D printers, laser cutters, mills, Fablab, wet labs, bio areas, spray booths, and PCB rooms.
- Photography & VR Studio Vlogging, VR, and photography suite equipped with high-spec DSLR cameras, lenses, green screen backdrop, lighting, and Apple iMac Pro for post-production with Final Cut Pro X, Creative Cloud, and Logic Pro.
- Podcast Studio Audio recording and editing studio with vocal microphones, headphones, amplifiers, audio interface, studio controller, monitors with isolation pads, and post-production software including Logic Pro X and Adobe Creative Cloud.
- Event Space Dedicated event spaces for conferences, panels, networking events, and team away days.
- Innovation Programmes Dedicated business support programmes including accelerators, investment expert clinics, and programmes for designing, testing, and developing prototypes, providing award-winning expertise and innovator network access.
Quantifiable outcome
- Award-winning innovation hubs recognised by Property Week, Estates Gazette, Design Week, Architizer A+, and Company Culture Awards
Companies that use Central Research Laboratory
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Central Research Laboratory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Central Research Laboratory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AshbyCapitalcoreProperty partnership with AshbyCapital at The Future Works in Slough. Plus X Innovation operates innovation hub spaces within the property development, bringing coworking, office space, prototyping workshop, photography studio, and innovation programmes to the location.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Central Research Laboratory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Fab Foundation (Fab Lab Network): Global network of Fab Labs providing access to digital fabrication tools and prototyping equipment. Plus X is a Fablab network member and shares the Fablab community ethos; relevant as an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- TOG (The Office Group): Major UK flexible-workspace operator offering coworking, serviced offices and meeting rooms across London and regional cities. Comparable in UK flex-space proposition and SME/corporate customer overlap with Plus X.
- Workspace Group: UK-listed provider of flexible office space in London, primarily serving SMEs and creative businesses. Competes in the same UK SME/SMB flex-space segment as Plus X, though with a more traditional serviced-office proposition.
- WeWork: Largest global coworking and flex-space operator offering shared and private office space across major cities. Comparable as a direct competitor in UK coworking, though it lacks Plus X's specialist prototyping and Fablab-grade facilities.
- IWG / Regus: Global leader in flexible workspace operating Regus, Spaces and HQ brands. Competes with Plus X for office and coworking customers in Brighton, Slough and broader UK, though its proposition is broader and less innovation-programme focused.
Emerging players
- Makerversity: London-based makerspace and innovation community providing prototyping facilities, workshops and studio space for emerging hardware and product startups. Comparable in Fablab-style maker offering and hardware-startup focus, though concentrated in a single London location.
- TechHub (Plus X Innovation predecessor ecosystem): Historic UK tech-startup community and coworking operator whose model inspired elements of the Plus X proposition. Comparable in startup-community focus and innovation programming, though smaller and more tech-specific in positioning.
Direct peers
- Second Home: Design-led coworking and members' club operator in London and select European cities, with an emphasis on creative community and curated programming. Highly comparable to Plus X's premium positioning, community-driven model, and design-forward hubs.
- Runway East: UK-based coworking and innovation hub for startups and scaleups, offering office space, events and community programming. Directly comparable in target customer (UK startups/scaleups), geographic focus, and community-led GTM.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Central Research Laboratory social profiles
Digital presenceCentral Research Laboratory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Central Research Laboratory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Central Research Laboratory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Central Research Laboratory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Central Research Laboratory
What does Central Research Laboratory do?
Central Research Laboratory operates innovation hubs providing flexible workspace (coworking, private offices, studio offices, day passes), state-of-the-art prototyping and fabrication facilities (3D printers, laser cutters, mills, Fablab, wet labs, spray booths, PCB rooms), professional content creation studios (photography/VR studio, podcast studio), and business support innovation programmes including accelerators and expert clinics for hardware startups, designers, and makers.
Is Central Research Laboratory a public or private company?
Central Research Laboratory is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Central Research Laboratory founded?
Central Research Laboratory was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Central Research Laboratory based?
Central Research Laboratory is headquartered in Hayes, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Central Research Laboratory make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Workspace Memberships are the primary driver. The others are meeting Room Hire, event Space Hire, innovation Programmes and prototyping Workshop Access.
Who are Central Research Laboratory's main competitors?
Fab Foundation (Fab Lab Network) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are TOG (The Office Group), Workspace Group, WeWork and IWG / Regus. Emerging players are Makerversity and TechHub (Plus X Innovation predecessor ecosystem). Direct peers are Second Home and Runway East.
Does Central Research Laboratory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Central Research Laboratory.
What industry is Central Research Laboratory in?
Central Research Laboratory's product category is Innovation Hub and Coworking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming), with a secondary code of THAHAAAB, Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues. Its NAICS code is 5416.