Here at Origin, we’re passionate about growing the Bristol business scene. By invoking the power of community, we strive to accommodate the changing business world and support small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Startups who join us gain the benefits of being a member of Origin, such as access to our on-site gym, wellness sessions, and a variety of community events. With a premium and professional environment, the space is a great option for small businesses in their early stages who want to show off an impressive workspace.
We recently got in touch with our last cohort of startups to see what they’ve been up to and where they are now.
Origin is not only home to an array of startups, but charities too.
One of these is Gympanzees, who aim to open up a world of fun and fitness for all disabled children.
Stephanie Wheen is the CEO and founder of Gympanzees. Her relationship with Origin started through wellbeing, before she decided to officially join the Origin community and become a member.
Steph remains with us and enjoys spending time doing huddle meetings with her team on the roof terrace, exercising in the gym, and taking her calls and meetings in the lounge space.
Specialist tour operator Where The Wild Is offers bespoke travel packages for the wildest, most wonderful places on earth. This includes destinations such as the Faroe Islands, Scandinavia, Scotland and Iceland.
Joining us in 2018, Where The Wild Is has grown from an idea on a scrap of paper to a fully fledged business.
But how has Origin been integral to the success of this travel startup?
“Being able to work in such a professional environment is important to us as a luxury brand. Customers visit us at Origin Workspace to discuss their holiday plans and are always really impressed with the space. The meeting rooms here are high quality, with large screens, perfect for sharing presentations and showing videos of the destinations we offer.
“I also personally find the gym, fitness and mindfulness classes such a valuable benefit of being a member of Origin. Life as an entrepreneur is stressful, so joining fitness and yoga classes at lunchtime and making sure I take a break away from the desk and exercise regularly is made simple just by being here.”
Now a part of Origin’s Connect Card programme, Where The Wild Is offers a discount for their tailor-made adventures, to all members in the space.
All About the Cooks is a Bristol-based online marketplace to buy and sell local home-cooked food.
After recently overfunding on Crowdcube, All About the Cooks are taking strides to scale up their business. By 2023, they’re hoping to be available across the entire UK.
Founder Claire Ladkin joined Origin in 2019.
“I joined Origin early in 2019 when All About The Cooks was at the very early idea stage, and it’s possible it may have never gone beyond that point if not for the inspiration of the Origin community to spark ideas from.”
I had a clear vision about where I wanted to go – they helped me sort them into place and work out how to get there.”
So what has Claire accomplished during her time with us?
“We created a tech product for our pilot and have recruited about 30 talented home cooks. We launched in Bristol late in 2020, before raising £350k in Equity Crowdfunding this year.
“Origin has played a vital part in our growth – from the people, the community, to the premises. Now that we are recruiting more team members, we realise how important it is to be able to offer people a great place to work, with excellent facilities and benefits.”
Inkwell Agency is a content agency that connects companies to small business owners through clear, insightful content.
They also run the annual startup competition The Pitch, helping startups nail their pitch and support them to get investment. Origin has hosted the Bristol semi-final of the competition since 2019.
Chris Goodfellow, founder of Inkwell Agency, joined the space in 2018 – and has now firmly put down roots.
“We’ve grown the company from one to six employees since joining Origin a few years ago and we’re hoping to hire again soon.”
Chris found our flexible space particularly useful to help grow his team and network.
“Origin played a huge role in the Inkwell’s early stages. Their help allowed us to get our first office space, and we’ve met customers and hired team members from the relationships we’ve built here.
“It’s also been great to discuss challenges and network with other business owners – it’s a really supportive space!”
New Kings Coffee supplies individually wrapped coffee bags for quality, ethical and convenient coffee at home.
The business is now in its sixth year of trading, and the company has faced its fair share of ups and downs – particularly during the pandemic. Founder Jason Nicholls shares fond memories of being a member of our space.
“Being a member of Origin was a great experience. Apart from the luxurious office and all the bells and whistles that came with that, the support from Rob, my mentor, and the other entrepreneurs in the space was invaluable,” Jason said.
“Being a solo entrepreneur can be lonely and challenging at times, so having someone to share the ups and the downs with really helps.”
Find out more about New Kings Coffee, the products they sell and what they’re currently up to here.
Now based at the renowned Bristol Harbourside, Hoba makes Berlin-inspired fresh chargrilled kebabs.
Hoba has now left the space, but continues to remain a member of our Connect Card.
Based just off Park Street, our central location is ideal for Bristol-based entrepreneurs looking to kick-start their startup journey.
Whether you’re a lone entrepreneur or you’re ready to grow your team, we can cater to your business with flexible membership plans and a variety of workspaces available.
To see if Origin would be a great fit for you, you can find our different membership options here.
For further enquiries, please contact our Commercial Manager Caroline at [email protected].
Out of hours
Please note Origin Workspace is now closed if you have an out of hours emergency please continue to call us and you will be diverted to a duty manager. If your enquiry is not urgent, please complete the form on the Contact Us page.
Lounge members,
day pass users & visitors:
Mon-Fri: 8am to 6pm
Office, dedicated desk,
& hot desk members:
Mon-Fri: 6am – 9:45pm
Sat: 9am – 5:45pm
Sun: 9am – 4:45pm
