Tech Company Ceros Saves Millions In Switch to Remote-First Work With Upflex Platform

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Ceros was spending millions on their NYC HQ. After the pandemic, they embraced flexible work. Ceros CFO Rob Bender says the switch has helped them reduce office expenses “by an order of magnitude” and invest more in their talent around the world.

Tech company Ceros has saved millions in rent by embracing the pivot to remote work post-pandemic. To ideate, implement and manage their remote-first workplace strategy, they partnered with Upflex, the premier global provider of remote and hybrid workspace solutions.

Ceros makes software for interactive content creation which is used by companies like NBC, Redbull, Buzzfeed and McKinsey. Prior to the pandemic, the company was based in an award-winning, 20,000-square-foot New York City headquarters, designed to reflect the company’s creativity and culture. But, beginning in 2020, Ceros embraced remote work as the new norm. The company now allows employees to live where they choose.

“Our objective was to re-allocate resources that were once only used to support employees in the tri-state region — including well over a million dollars in rent at our N.Y.C. office — to support employees all over the globe,” said Ceros CFO Rob Bender. “We chose Upflex because nearly every Ceros employee has reasonable access to an Upflex location. We’ve reduced our office expenses by an order of magnitude.”

Now, the company spends less on real estate, while offering employees competitive perks like a remote work set-up stipend, as well as use of Upflex’s secure booking platform and global flex space network, with access to more than 10,000 workspaces from approximately 1,200 brands (including exclusive access to WeWork) in more than a thousand markets, ensuring every team member has access to safe, connected, amenity-rich office space.

“There are certain processes that don’t translate well to video conferencing. Brainstorming, group problem solving and creative idea generation are far better in-person. We are excited to see our employees utilizing Upflex bookings for those activities,” Bender said.

The Ceros team can track utilization data, manage spend and plan ahead in Upflex’s platform. According to Upflex data, three out of four employees who’ve tried Upflex in the pilot have booked multiple times. As of the start of 2023, the Ceros team has booked at nearly 200 different workspace locations in more than 65 cities, including high-design spaces like the Malin in Manhattan and Mindspace in Shoreditch, London.

“We are thrilled to see the impact our service has had on a dynamic and innovative company like Ceros, which is renowned for its creativity and positive work culture,” says Christophe Garnier, CEO and cofounder of Upflex. “Ceros came to us with three key requirements: the reservation process had to be seamless and intuitive; the physical spaces had to be safe and appealing; and there needed to be office spaces available all over the world. Upflex was able to provide Ceros with all of those requirements and more.”

The Upflex space network spans 135 countries, giving Ceros employees access to safe, secure, amenity rich spaces, from WeWorks to luxury airport lounges. “It’s a flexible, scalable offering that allows employers to pay for only the workspace they actually need — in order to book desks, meeting rooms, and private offices. This offer helps companies to thrive in a new era of work where flexibility comes first,” Garnier said.

Upflex was founded in 2018 by Garnier and CPO Ginger Dhaliwal. Today, global corporations, including Toyota, Willis Towers Watson, and Schneider Electric, and leading tech firms, including Snowflake, Alation, and Gympass, leverage Upflex’s technology and solutions to facilitate their hybrid workplace strategies. Upflex also powers the flex space platforms, including Colliers Mobility Pass and Newmark Optality.

Mindspace Shoreditch, London.

About Upflex: Upflex (upflex.com) is a powerful workplace platform bringing together people, places, and data to deliver the right spaces for forward-thinking companies and today’s top talent. The company was founded in 2018 as a coworking network and booking platform. In early 2022, Upflex raised $30 million in Series A funding and forged a strategic partnership with WeWork. The team is continuing to expand its operations globally, leading with EMEA, to serve its international client base. Today, some of the world’s most widely recognized Fortune 500 companies leverage Upflex’s solutions and space network to power their future-forward flexible workplaces and reduce their environmental footprint.

About Ceros: Ceros (ceros.com) is a cloud-based experiential content creation platform that empowers marketers and designers to create rich, interactive content without code or traditional web development. The Ceros Studio is the only platform of its kind with the ability to produce creative content experiences at scale. Founded in 2012, Ceros has offices in New York and London and is used by many of the world’s top brands.