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WeWork – The Story Of The Real Estate Unicorn Startup

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5 years ago

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WeWork,Story Of The Real Estate Unicorn Startup,Startup Stories,Startup Success Story 2019,WeWork History,WeWork Story,WeWork Success Story,Real Estate WeWork,Growth of WeWork,WeWork Founder,Co working spaces offers,Unicorn Startup WeWork,Unicorn Startups 2019

The concept of coworking spaces took off throughout the world as a business model.  However, this concept was pioneered by WeWork. Coworking spaces offer plug and play ready to move office spaces to companies and startups which need an office infrastructure.  Startups can directly move into a furnished office space which has all the amenities needed to run their operations.

The beginning of WeWork

WeWork was founded by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey.  Prior to the founding of WeWork, Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey established an eco friendly coworking space company called GreenDesk in 2008.  Upon selling the business, they began WeWork in 2010. The United States Of America was going through an economic crisis at the time, which saw companies and businesses shutting down due to poor economic landscape.  The founders realised empty office buildings could be offered as working spaces for freelancers and startups and created a business model to connect them. This led to the opening of the first WeWork lab in SoHo, Manhattan.

Growth of WeWork

WeWork aims to be a startup incubator with the goal of encouraging collaboration amongst members whose business ideas are not fully developed.  After the success of their first offices in SoHo, they opened up at four more locations in two years. They focused on creating a community rather than sustainability and this attracted more members.  Customers are often referred to as members of WeWork. This led to the Company attracting an investment of $ 17 million from Benchmark, which pushed Wework to grow more. More funding was attracted from the likes of J.P. Morgan Chase and Co., the Goldman Sachs Group and the Wellington Group.  WeWork opened their first international office in 2014 in London, U.K. They diversified their revenue stream by offering furnished micro apartments with every utility.

Controversies

The Company has been plagued with multiple controversies, mainly due to Adam Nuemann’s extravagant lifestyle and indulgences.  Neumann courted controversy for smoking marijuana during the entire journey from the United States of America to Israel, prompting the jet provider to cancel his return flight, stranding him in Israel.  There were multiple allegations of sexual harassment and lawsuits filed against former executives. WeWork was supposed to file for an IPO but pulled back out, because of the major investor Softbank’s loss of confidence in Adam Neumann.  Softbank paid Neumann one billion dollars for him to resign as CEO because they lost confidence in his leadership abilities.

The Company is currently under management restructuring by bringing in people to guide the course towards better governing policies.  WeWork paved the way for startups or growing companies to be a part of a community to develop their ideas and grow their businesses. It is also important to note that while the concept itself was revolutionary with many startups adopting the same model, this unicorn failed to capitalize on its success due to poor decisions, bad management and lavish unchecked spending.

 

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Inverstors Stories

Info Edge Shareholders Approve ₹1,000 Crore Investment in New Venture Fund

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2 days ago

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May 28, 2025

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Info Edge

Info Edge (India) Ltd shareholders have overwhelmingly approved an investment of up to ₹1,000 crore in the company’s third venture capital fund, Info Edge Ventures Fund III. The proposal received near-unanimous backing, with 99.9995% of valid votes in favor out of 1,274 participants.

Smartweb Internet Services Ltd, a wholly owned Info Edge subsidiary, will act as sponsor and investment manager for the new fund. This move strengthens Info Edge’s commitment to backing early-stage startups and expanding its footprint in India’s venture capital landscape.

Info Edge has a strong track record as an early investor in leading Indian startups like Zomato and PB Fintech, with combined holdings in these firms valued at ₹31,500 crore ($3.7 billion) as of March 31, 2025.

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Entrepreneur Stories

Razorpay Partners with MeitY Startup Hub to Accelerate Deeptech Innovation in Tier II and III Cities

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4 days ago

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May 26, 2025

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Razorpay

MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has partnered with fintech leader Razorpay to support the growth of deeptech and emerging tech startups across India, with a special focus on those in Tier II and III cities. Through this collaboration, early-stage startups will gain access to Razorpay’s fintech infrastructure, mentorship, and resources via the Razorpay Rize program.

Startups in areas like AI, blockchain, robotics, and IoT will benefit from streamlined company incorporation support, expert mentorship, product credits, and guidance for applying to global accelerators such as Y Combinator. Selected founders will also join the exclusive Rize Community, connecting with peer networks and attending masterclasses.

MSH CEO Panneerselvam Madanagopal emphasized that this partnership will help founders scale faster by providing vital support in mentorship, capital access, and digital infrastructure. As India’s startup ecosystem surpasses 159,000 DPIIT-recognised startups, this initiative aims to give deeptech entrepreneurs the tools and networks needed to innovate for India and expand globally.

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Funding

Info Edge Delivers 36% Returns on Startup Investments

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3 weeks ago

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May 9, 2025

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Infoedge

Info Edge, the parent of Naukri.com, has achieved a 36% gross internal rate of return (IRR) on its startup investments since 2007, turning a total investment of INR 3,959 crore across 111 startups into a portfolio now valued at INR 36,855 crore-a nearly 9X gain. Early bets on Zomato and Policybazaar have been especially lucrative, with holdings in these two companies alone worth INR 31,500 crore as of March 2025.

The company’s investment strategy spans multiple vehicles, including the SEBI-registered Info Edge Venture Fund (IEVF), Info Edge Capital, and Capital 2B, with a combined fund corpus of INR 3,423 crore and Info Edge committing INR 1,614 crore. Early-stage investments now contribute 30-40% of the company’s overall value.

Info Edge’s Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) investments have yielded an IRR of 18.7%. Many portfolio companies, such as TrueMeds, Geniemode, Attentive.ai, and InPrime, have attracted follow-on funding from major investors like Accel, Peak XV Partners, and Tiger Global. Notably, BlueStone, the largest investment of Info Edge Capital, has filed for an IPO after securing investments from Prosus, Peak XV, and Steadview Capital.

Founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani emphasized the company’s focus on strong governance and financial controls, with a preference for value realization through public listings or strategic exits.

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