At Spaces to Places we are excited to see initiatives emerging that are driving the UK flexible workspace sector towards greater transparency and professionalisation. One of the most significant developments is the Workspace Intelligence Network (WIN) an operator-led data alliance that is tackling one of the sector’s biggest challenges, the lack of standardised performance data.
Why Does the Flex Sector Need Better Data?
The UK flex office market has matured significantly, with flexible spaces now accounting for approximately 10% of London’s total office stock. Yet despite this growth, a persistent barrier to institutional investment remains: the lack of transparent, consistent data and valuation methods.
As we highlighted in our UK Flex Office Market 2025 report, the sector is evolving from opportunity-driven to data-driven decisions. Without standardised performance metrics, investors struggle to benchmark performance, compare operators, and make informed decisions about allocating capital.
This is precisely the gap that WIN was created to fill.
What is WIN?
The Workspace Intelligence Network (WIN) is an operator-led initiative designed to enhance decision-making and performance within the flexible workspace sector through shared data insights. Launched in 2024, it enables operators to contribute anonymised data to a collective pool, creating industry benchmarks that benefit everyone.
By joining this alliance, operators contribute to and benefit from collective knowledge that drives growth and recognition of the sector. An independent auditor oversees the collection, storage, and anonymisation of operator data, ensuring privacy and security.
Who Are the Founding Members?
WIN represents a coalition of over 250 UK locations from leading operators. The founding members include:
- Work.Life
- Office Space in Town
- Techspace
- The Boutique Workplace Company
- Canvas
- Orega
- Runway East
- Spacemade
- Uncommon
- x+why
- The Arterial Group
- Workpad
- Wizu
- Us & Co
- Podium
- Huckletree
- Co-space
- Frameworks
The network has since expanded to include additional members such as Argyll, Landmark, Storey, LABS, Kitt, Clockwise, Workspace, and Qube.
What Are the Benefits of Joining WIN?
For flexible workspace operators, the benefits of participating in WIN are significant:
- Improved decision-making: Access to better data for new location acquisitions and business planning. Understanding how your performance compares to market benchmarks helps inform strategic decisions.
- Better performance metrics: Contributing to standardised KPIs helps establish the entire sector as an attractive investment case and supports consistent valuation methodologies.
- Enhanced market visibility: Collaborative data-sharing increases visibility of the flex workspace market, demonstrating its maturity and stability to investors and landlords.
- Competitive intelligence: Anonymised benchmarking allows operators to understand where they sit relative to the market without exposing commercially sensitive information.
Why Does This Matter for the Sector?
In our research, we’ve identified data transparency as one of the critical steps needed to drive the flex sector forward and unlock more investment. As we noted in our UK Flex Office Market 2025 report, WIN represents a significant step toward market transparency and standardisation.
For the flex sector to be truly investable at scale, it must adopt clear, consistent metrics. Unlike traditional real estate, flexible offices operate on dynamic models, yet benchmarking tools like RevPAU (Revenue Per Available Unit), cost-per-desk, and average length of stay are still not widely adopted.
Institutional capital demands transparency, and WIN provides a mechanism for operators to demonstrate this collectively without compromising their individual competitive positions.
How Is Data Protected?
WIN has implemented robust safeguards to ensure data privacy:
- Data is split into sub-markets, ensuring operator anonymity
- No individual operator or Board member has access to non-anonymised data
- All operator submissions are securely managed and deleted after processing
- An independent auditor oversees the entire process
Additionally, WIN adheres to a strict competition policy to ensure fair practices and compliance with relevant competition laws.
How Can Operators Get Involved?
WIN is currently inviting multi-site operators with London operations to join Phase 1 of the initiative. In addition to regular analysis that members receive, WIN releases market reports twice a year that are shared with the media, enhancing visibility for all members.
For operators looking to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the flexible workspace sector through data collaboration, WIN represents a valuable opportunity to be part of shaping the sector’s future.
You can express your interest in joining Workspace Intelligence Network (WIN) at winflex.org or connect with them on LinkedIn.
The Bigger Picture
The emergence of WIN reflects a broader maturation of the UK flexible workspace sector. As we move beyond the post-pandemic debates about home versus office working, the focus is shifting to making flexible working genuinely work for businesses, providers, and investors.
Collaborative initiatives like WIN demonstrate that operators recognise the value of working together to build sector credibility. When competitors come together to share anonymised data, it sends a powerful signal to investors and landlords that this is a sector serious about professionalisation.
The ultimate goal? For flex workspace to be recognised as an alternative investment asset class on par with sectors like student accommodation and hotels. With standardised data and transparent benchmarking, that goal becomes increasingly achievable.
Want to learn more about the UK flex market? Download our free UK Flex Market Reports for the latest data and insights.
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