IWG Moves to Acquire Coworking Operator Design Offices, One of Germany’s Biggest Players
The International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s largest flexible workspace provider, is advancing plans to acquire Design Offices, on of the leading German flexible office operator, in a move that would strengthen its footprint across Europe. The transaction is currently under review by Germany’s competition authority, the Bundeskartellamt, as regulatory clearance is sought.
Design Offices is one of Germany’s most established providers of flexible workspace environments, operating around 50 locations across 15 German cities that serve corporate, freelancer and SME clients with office space, meeting rooms and hybrid work solutions. The company has grown its presence over recent years under the leadership of Joachim Gripp, who serves as CEO and has been a speaker at the Coworking Europe 2025 conference in Berlin, where he shared insights on workspace strategy and the evolution of flexible environments.
“According to Design Offices, a standard review process is underway. Until its conclusion, the company will not release any further details or comments. Design Offices was founded in 2019 and, according to its own statements, operates approximately 50 locations in 15 cities. For 2024, the company, which belongs to Art-Invest and the Zech Group, reported revenues of €142 million, an increase of 4% compared to the previous year”, reminds Thomas Daily’s website.
For IWG, which operates globally through well-known brands including Regus, Spaces and HQ, acquiring Design Offices aligns with a longstanding expansion approach of integrating strong regional operators into its global network. Paulo Dias, Head of Europe at IWG and another speaker at the Coworking Europe 2025 event, has overseen the company’s strategic growth across European markets, positioning IWG to capture demand from both enterprise and local occupiers seeking flexible office solutions.
IWG’s platform spans around 4,000 locations in more than 120 countries, hosting a diverse range of workspace formats from coworking and managed offices to serviced suites and virtual office services. The group reported approximately US$3.7 billion in revenue in 2024 and employs some 10,000 people worldwide, a scale that underscores the breadth of its operations and its role as a major owner and operator in the sector.
The planned acquisition comes amid broader consolidation in the flexible workspace industry, as operators pursue scale and geographic diversity to meet evolving occupier preferences for hybrid work models, shorter lease commitments and integrated workplace services. If completed, the purchase of Design Offices would extend IWG’s presence in Germany — one of Europe’s leading markets for flexible office demand — while integrating Design Offices’ local expertise and client base into IWG’s global network.
Both IWG and Design Offices have demonstrated leadership in the sector, with repeated participation in industry forums such as Coworking Europe, where executives like Dias and Gripp contribute to sector dialogue on the future of workspaces and real estate strategy. This move marks another phase in the ongoing transformation of traditional office portfolios toward more adaptable and service-oriented models
