Bay Area Startup Is The Airbnb Of Coworking Spaces

A new startup out of the Bay Area hopes to help remote workers find a better-suited temporary office by turning apartments and houses into coworking spaces.

Codi was founded by Christelle Rohaut, who found working from home isolating, coffee shops distracting, and traditional coworking spaces expensive. That’s when she realized that working from friends’ homes to be more productive.

People working during the day can apply to be hosts, then the company reviews each applicant to ensure they meet certain criteria and can offer basic amenities such as Wi-Fi, power outlets, and bathroom access.

The app is designed where each host must prove they are residents of the home so owners don’t get the upper hand, which is the case with Airbnb.

“The host can just share their unutilized living rooms during the day and then keep enjoying their home at night the same way as before, and there’s no overlap between those two,” said Rohaut.

The cost for using the space starts at $70 for 25 hours a month, way below the average of typical coworking memberships

So far, users in trials have said they prefer a real living room to a corporate-style coworking space and find that making connections with others in the space much easier.

The app recently raised a seed round from Coatue Management and NfX and is expected to fully launch in the Bay Area in the next few months before expanding its services.