Interview with Andrea Droghetti, CEO of SMACE
June 28, 2022
Interview with Andrea Droghetti, CEO of SMACE, the startup created to offer the best locations for smart working.
Work with a breathtaking view, in a mountain hut or in front of a crystal clear sea. More and more people are trying the experience of being able to carry out their work away from the office and in the midst of “dream” places. This is how the phenomenon of “workation”, that derives from the union of the terms work (work) and vacation (vacation), was born and already for many has become a real model to follow, reconciling work to vacation. If you want to be surprised by these fantastic initiatives too, then it’s time to discover SMACE!
What’s SMACE
SMACE is the startup that allows companies and freelancers to find the perfect places to work easily in places of interest throughout Italy. SMACE was created with the aim of offering the ideal locations for smart working and to promote the balance of the working sphere with the personal one. To join the service, the company must sign an agreement with SMACE to provide access to the platform and office services distributed to its partners.
For the facilities, however, to be among the possible choices, they must have some mandatory requirements: fast Internet connection, appropriate workstations and meeting rooms; To these conditions are also added services such as the possibility to enjoy meals or do leisure and sports activities on site or nearby.
To find out more about the startup, we interviewed Andrea Droghetti, CEO of Smace.
Hi Andrea, thank you so much for this opportunity. Nice to meet you. Tell us more about Smace. How and when was the idea born?
The idea of SMACE was born at the end of the first lockdown (in the summer of 2020) when my partner Marta Romero and I experienced first-hand the way of doing smart-working in beautiful places. Working from the garden of the house in the countryside, a few steps from the sea or in a mountain hut, we had brought personal benefits, greater productivity for our businesses and opportunity for the territory. We therefore immediately reflected on how this way of work should not be a prerogative only of digital nomads, but also of corporate employees and freelancers.
How did you launch your startup? Did you use crowdfunding campaigns?
Without any experience in the startup world, we initially validated the idea with an incubation path, finding a positive response from the market. From then on, everything has been constantly in growth: the company has been established as an innovative startup at the Chamber of Commerce of Ferrara, we created a solid and multidisciplinary team of people who strongly believe in this project and we participated in a path of acceleration with Digital Magics. We are already on the market with our solutions and are concluding a capital increase with major investors.
How many structures are there inside the platform?
Currently on the SMACE platform there are more than 150 accommodation facilities but we are working on a new interface in which will include not only the locations for workation stays, but also facilities for daily access in coworking. Our portfolio has been designed to include solutions in line with all the needs of agile workers. We have in fact, widespread locations throughout the Italian territory, of different types (apartments, hotels, villas, farmhouses, villages), with additional services for all targets (for those traveling alone, as a couple, with their family or colleagues).
What services do you offer with Smace?
SMACE offers two main services: SMACEPro and SMACE4team. SMACEPro is the Smart Working As A Service solution that provides exclusive access to our widespread office platform, giving access to all types of services (both stays and day-use). All with discounted prices combined with conventions and content dedicated to those who work remotely. A dedicated credit management platform for employees will also be available for corporate contacts.
SMACE4team, on the other hand, is the service that allows the organization of smart-working retreats for work groups in beautiful places. We tailor the perfect business stay to suit people needs, allowing persons to combine a recreational activity and team building to unite the group in a valuable experience.
Future developments?
SMACE is working to become the reference service for all the companies and professionals who are approaching the new way of working: that is a hybrid model of work that involves alternation and co-existence between different workplaces (office, home, coworking, accommodation, everywhere) each functional according to the needs of people at a particular time or for a specific activity.
In this perspective, one of our objectives is to validate the foreign market that, in many cases, is already open and ready to embrace the true concept of smart-working.
Curiosity: what, in your opinion, are the benefits for companies and for the workers who use Smace?
We like to define SMACE as a win-win-win solution because it brings widespread benefits to all the stakeholders involved. People can achieve a greater work-life balance, being happier and creative. Companies introduce best practice in favor of their human resources, increasing their commitment and productivity as well as the ability to attract creators from the market. Our service is also deductible for companies and professionals with VAT as an office rental expense. Last but not least, the facilities benefit from the SMACE service as an opportunity to seasonally, promote the territory and increase the influx of business customers.
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