The Wedge

What The Wedge does

The Wedge is a privately held coworking and events workspace operating from the historic 1904 Wedge Building and 1868-69 Elfgen Building at 620 E Broadway in Alton, Illinois. The legal entity, Wedge Innovation Center, LLC, runs the space 'powered by SIUE' under a strategic partnership with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville that supplies educational programming, graduate assistants, and institutional legitimacy. The company serves solopreneurs, freelancers, startups, remote/hybrid workers, and event organizers in the Riverbend community, offering three core products: flexible workspace memberships (day/week/month), private offices starting at $500 per month with 24/7 access, and event space rentals booked through Eventbrite. The facility bundles an unusually broad amenity set for a single-location operator, including wellness rooms, a roof terrace, podcast studio, collaboration spaces, shared kitchens, gym and locker rooms, mothers room, AI learning programs, and think tanks.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally light: the public website runs on Squarespace CMS, with member management and checkout handled through a third-party platform (checkout.thewedge.space), payment processing via PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, Google Analytics for web tracking, and Facebook for social login and community engagement. There are no proprietary software products, APIs, or mobile applications, and AI/ML capability is limited to educational programming rather than productized features. The business model is a multi-stream subscription and transaction mix — recurring monthly private office rentals, pay-as-you-go flex memberships, and event-driven transactional revenue — distributed through community-led channels including website, email newsletter, social media, in-person tours, and Eventbrite. Operations are staffed by a 6-person team led by CEO Scot Heathman.

Name

The Wedge

Legal name

Wedge Innovation Center, LLC.

Website

https://thewedge.space

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wedge is a private coworking and events workspace in Alton, Illinois, powered by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, serving solopreneurs, startups, remote workers, and event organizers with flexible memberships, private offices, and event spaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Office Rentals: Monthly rental of private office spaces with 24/7 access and full amenities. Starting at $500 per month.
2. Flex Workspace Memberships: Flexible workspace memberships for day, week, or month use. Designed for solopreneurs, startups, and remote workers. Coffee, tea included.
3. Event Space Rental: Event spaces available for rent, promoted through Eventbrite platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Wedge is a physical coworking and events workspace that sells flexible desk memberships, dedicated private offices (starting at $500/month with 24/7 access), and event space rentals to individuals, startups, remote workers, and event organizers. The offering is augmented by on-site amenities including a podcast studio, roof terrace, wellness rooms, collaboration spaces, shared kitchens, gym and locker rooms, AI learning programs, and community events.

Product overview

The Wedge is a coworking and events workspace powered by SIUE, offering flexible workspace solutions including flexible desk memberships, private offices, and event spaces. The unified product centers on providing workspace infrastructure with various membership tiers. Private offices start at $500/month with 24/7 access. The facility includes numerous amenities such as a podcast studio, roof terrace, wellness rooms, collaboration spaces, mother's room, AI learning programs, shared kitchens, gym facilities, and think tanks. The ecosystem is designed to support solopreneurs, startups, remote workers, and teams with spaces ranging from daily flex desks to long-term private offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flexible Spaces Flexible workspace memberships for solopreneurs, startups, hybrid teams, and remote workers, with options to stay for a day, a week, or a month. Includes coffee, tea, and community access.
• Private Offices Secure private office spaces with 24/7 access, full amenities, and access to a collaborative community. Starting at $500 per month.
• Event Spaces Versatile event workspace for hosting workshops, activations, and community gatherings, with availability promoted and ticketed through Eventbrite.
• Podcast Studio Studio space for podcast recording and audio production, available as part of The Wedge's member amenities.
• Roof Terrace Rooftop outdoor space with views of Alton, designed for relaxation and informal meetings, available to members.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SIUE (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wedge is 'powered by SIUE' - a partnership with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The university provides access to programs, resources, and people dedicated to upleveling member potential. Includes AI learning opportunities and business grant workshops. The partnership provides legitimacy and educational ecosystem integration.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Spaces (IWG): IWG brand offering creative coworking environments, private offices, and meeting rooms globally. Directly comparable on flex desk, private office, and event space offerings, with broader geographic and pricing tier coverage.
• Mindspace: Premium flexible workspace operator providing design-forward offices and coworking spaces for SMEs and enterprises. Comparable offering mix (private offices + event space + amenities) but serves larger metro areas.
• WeWork: Largest global coworking and flex-office operator offering shared workspaces, private offices, and event space. Comparable to The Wedge on private office + event rental mix, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Serendipity Labs: Hospitality-inspired flexible office operator with locations in suburban and secondary U.S. markets. Comparable to The Wedge on full-service private office offerings and community focus.
• Industrious: National premium flexible-workspace provider offering private offices, suites, and coworking across 50+ U.S. markets. Directly comparable to The Wedge on private-office rentals and amenity-rich positioning, but at vastly larger scale and brand recognition.
• Premier Workspaces: National franchise network offering private offices, coworking, and meeting room rentals in suburban and secondary markets. Comparable to The Wedge on private-office-led product mix and secondary-market focus.

Direct peers

• WorkBar: Regionally-focused coworking operator (founded in the Boston area) targeting professionals and small businesses with private offices, shared desks, and event space. Closely comparable community-led positioning to The Wedge but at a multi-location scale.
• Common Desk: Community-driven coworking operator in the southern U.S. emphasizing hospitality, local roots, and event programming — closely aligned with The Wedge's community-led GTM and event-revenue component.

Regional players

• TechArtCenter (St. Louis): Regional creative coworking/event space in St. Louis, within driving distance of Alton. Comparable community-led and event-heavy positioning, illustrating the local competitive context The Wedge operates in.
• CoLab (Co-Working Cooperative): Midwest-rooted coworking operator serving rural and small-metro communities — directly analogous geographic positioning to The Wedge's small-metro Illinois focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thewedgealton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thewedgealton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 The Wedge