WeWork’s continuous efforts to go public may once again be facing a roadblock as Covid-19 cases surge across major markets.
While the coworking firm’s revenues have grown over the spring and summer thanks to increased vaccinations and falling cases, it’s recovery is still not on a concrete path.
Even WeWork’s biggest competitor IWG warned that its full-year revenue would be lower and its losses would be larger than former predictions.
Although there are indications that the flexible office market as a whole has overcome the worst, there is still a need to increase occupancy levels so operators can ramp up recovery.
However, it’s not to say that WeWork hasn’t been trying. Since the days of its headline-grabbing IPO attempt in 2019, the company has managed to cut its costs, closed unprofitable locations, and brought in more level-headed management.
Even more, the company may be able to take advantage of the growing desire for flexible offices as companies transition to hybrid work arrangements.
Still, the Delta variant has caused a resurgence in cases and paranoia even among fully vaccinated individuals. This, along with BowX Acquisition Corp.’s decrease in shares, could spell trouble for the future of WeWork’s attempt to go public.