Community: the defining factor of Morph House
Co-working spaces aren’t new, and start-up hubs aren’t new either — but when we started Morph House, we knew we wanted it to be more than just another space where start-ups work alongside each other. We wanted it to be a community. As founders, we firmly believe that community is one of the keys to success, especially in the start-up world.
Morph House is home to several of the start-ups that we have invested in and we believe that by offering them this space it not only helps strengthen our relationship with them, but it also strengthens their relationships with each other — and these relationships are the foundations for successful start-up life.
While community and relationships have always been important for the start-up world, particularly when these relationships are with fellow entrepreneurs, as founders and investors ourselves, we believe the unique atmosphere we’ve created in Morph House goes further than just being a helpful relationship, for reasons that will be discussed below.
1. Relationships between investors and start-ups work best when they’re not merely transactional
As investors, our relationship to the founders we work with is important. We don’t see it as transactional and deliberately choose not to operate in the detached manner that is favoured by many traditional investment companies. Instead, we opt for a hands-on approach, with skin in the game, and our relationship with the founders we support is at the centre of what we do.
By sitting in the same offices as the founders we work with, we see them on a daily basis and get to know them more closely, which develops our relationships further. It lessens any hierarchy which could be created — there’s no lock on the Morph Office door, but founders (and any employees) are welcome to wander in and talk to us whenever, about whatever — whether that’s work difficulties or last night’s sports match. We deliberately chose this approach as we believe in meritocracy rather than hierarchy as the way to help individuals reach their potential.
We don’t want to be faceless investors, far away and difficult to get in touch with, but rather we want to develop our relationships with the companies we work with and be on hand to offer them assistance in all matters large and small. How better to make this aim a reality than to choose a physical location where we can work and have fun alongside them every day?
When investors take a hands-off approach to the companies they work with, where they merely invest their money and offer piecemeal advice, the result will never be as strong as when they provide support, sparring and advice in the day to day, are physically present, and available whenever needed. And the result of this close relationship? More detailed knowledge of founders’ companies, which leads to better advice and more sophisticated sparring, resulting in a greater likelihood of success.
2. Professional relationships turn into genuine friendships that help start-ups thrive
Our start-up hub is as much about the founders and companies we work with developing relationships with each other as it is about us strengthening our relationships with them. The start-up journey is a unique one, with twists and turns, ups and downs, and a lot of changing direction. It’s important to have people who understand the path and are able to share in the inevitable highs and lows.
In Morph House, companies eat lunch together, hold Friday bars together, host events together, train together, play Padel together, get coffee together, and choose to spend social time together. And that’s exactly how we want it. With genuine friendships and connection comes support and shared knowledge, which lead to success. From having a fridge always stocked with beer ready for those impromptu chats after work to creating Klub500, an in-house gym where all the members of the house can train, we make sure to encourage new friendships and facilitate community-building.
Start-ups and founders learn from other start-ups — from what’s worked well to what hasn’t, to just offering and considering different options about what should be prioritised and when. Through discussions and sparring, founders can share ideas and learn from how others are growing their companies. Two of the start-ups in Morph House are currently in funding rounds and sharing expertise, pitch decks, and advice for investors helps them optimise their chances of success.
But it’s not only growing start-ups that benefit from the community vibe — it’s also how new start-ups are born.
Take Scaleup Finance: a company that began because some of the start-ups we work with were discussing their need for someone who really understood the financial situation of start-ups and scale-ups. This idea was raised by a member of Morph Capital and a member of Risika as they were training in the gym together, and resulted in the birth of Scaleup Finance, which has soared in popularity due to fitting an exact market need. As this start-up need was felt by a number of the companies working together, it was clearly a matter that would be felt by more start-ups outside of those known to Morph, meaning there was a greater likelihood of a market fit for a solution that solved it.
The relationships that develop between founders and employees also places them in positions to share their start-up expertise; we have members of some of the start-ups working as advisors for others and seeing these professional and personal relationships develop is a great honour.
Genuine connections lead to more knowledge sharing, resulting in breakthroughs and creating new opportunities — all of which enhance the journey of all the start-ups involved and help move them closer to success. And all of this happens within Morph House.
“Morph House creates the right environment for great people to bounce ideas off each other and generate new opportunities, while at the same time being a place where we are able to have a lot of fun together and enjoy each other’s company”.
3. Creating a truly unique atmosphere reminds start-ups of their common purpose
Start-up life can seem new and exciting — and while this is undoubtedly true, even the most passionate founder has days when they’re tired, unfocused and feeling unenthusiastic. That’s where the energy of Morph House works its magic: with so many enthusiastic, passionate founders, the energy and environment is lively and fast-paced, creating an environment where no one can help but feel engaged.
When new employees start across many of the companies, one of the first things they comment on is that the energy levels of the House are completely different to anything they’ve ever experienced — the dynamic environment, the good humour around them, and the dedication and commitment of colleagues are all elements which set Morph House apart.
One recent new employee at Scaleup Finance, one of the companies resident in Morph House, commented on this atmosphere:
“I really like the drive that people have here, you can feel the energy when you come in the door, and it’s great to be in an environment where everyone is helping each other grow together”.
Not only is there an enthusiastic mood in the people working here, but the House itself is also designed to create an environment for individuals to prosper, from having a community manager focused on creating community-driven decisions, to lounges for meetings and social time, and even a resident unicorn (Twinkle), who helps start-ups dream big and remember the goal they’re working towards.
These reminders of a common purpose and the constant interactions with people working on the same path provide energy on the difficult days, and help centre the energy and passion on the good days.
A focus on community, an opportunity to bounce ideas off each other, the ability to create powerful relationships and the chance to have fun together are the foundations on which we built Morph House, and we’re already seeing the successes that result.
Together, all the members of Morph House have created a place where inspiration flows, companies grow alongside each other, and there’s a lot of fun in the process. Compare that to start-ups in big buildings lacking identity, confined to a few rooms and awkward ‘hellos’ to fellow workers, and it’s easy to see why a strong community hub is a key way in which we facilitate success throughout the Morph portfolio of start-ups.
