Common Ground

The company's business model revolves around providing a variety of membership-based workspace solutions. This includes hot desks, fixed desks, private offices, and customizable enterprise solutions for larger teams of 50 or more. Revenue is generated from these memberships, which offer access to amenities such as high-speed internet, business-class printing, meeting rooms, and refreshments. A key part of their strategy is an "asset-light" approach, which involves partnering with landlords on joint ventures rather than entering into traditional long-term rental agreements. Common Ground's clientele is intentionally diverse, catering to freelancers, startups, small businesses, and large corporations, with only about 15% from the tech sector. Beyond physical space, the company emphasizes building a community through weekly events, networking opportunities, and a proprietary app called the Ambition Engine, which acts as a social and business network for members.

The first Common Ground venue launched in March 2017 in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur. The company experienced rapid growth, expanding across Malaysia and into the Philippines and Thailand by 2018. A significant milestone occurred in June 2022 when Common Ground was acquired by Hive Worldwide and became part of The Flexi Group, a collection of flexible workspace brands that also includes Hong Kong's the Hive and Australia's The Cluster. This merger, backed by investment from Emissary Capital (where Teo and Akinci are managing partners), created a combined entity with 45 locations across nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Flexi Group has since pursued a public listing on the Nasdaq through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), TG Venture Acquisition Corp.