HONG KONG: Deskimo, a Singapore-based workspace startup, plans to add 10 more spaces in Hong Kong by the first quarter of 2022.

Since entering the market in July this year, Deskimo said it currently has over 40 locations in its local network in the city.

“The pandemic has transformed the way people work and how businesses operate. The disruption and demand for flexible work arrangements are more noticeable in Hong Kong,” said Adrian Ng, managing director at Deskimo’s Hong Kong office.

Deskimo is part of Y Combinator’s S21 cohort, joining 53 other startups from Asia.

Deskimo, the on-demand app that lets people find co-working spaces and pay by the minute, announced today it has raised a $3 million seed round.

It is also soft launching in Jakarta, bringing its total markets to three, along with Singapore and Hong Kong.

Participants in the round included Y Combinator (Deskimo was part of its summer 2021 cohort), Global Founders Capital, Pioneer Fund, Seed X, Starling Ventures and TSVC.

The startup was founded earlier this year by Raphael Cohen, Rocket Internet’s former head of Asia, and Christian Mischler, who co-founded Foodpanda, HotelQuickly and GuestReady.

Instead of offering its app directly to consumers, Deskimo works with companies that have a hybrid workplace model.

The app is offered as a benefit to employees, who usually work from home but might want to get away to concentrate or take calls (Mischler said Deskimo’s average users spend 3 hours at a desk, but some stay the whole day).

It partners with coworking spaces, including WeWork, The Hive, Executive Centre and Garage Society, giving them additional streams of revenue.