There’s something symbolic about The Riveter’s latest expansion.
That’s the word from the female-focused co-working startup, which announced Monday that it will open a new location in Los Angeles, taking over the building previously occupied by virtual reality startup Upload.
Upload made headlines over the past year after a former employee filed a sexual harassment suit which cited “rampant sexual behavior and focus” and a “kink room” where sexual intercourse was encouraged, according to the suit. It had been accused of being a “boys’ club,” TechCrunch reported.
Upload ran a co-working space in Los Angeles but closed the Marina Del Rey location in March. Now The Riveter is moving in.
“In a stroke of epic karma, The Riveter could not be more thrilled to announce that we are opening with a bang in Los Angeles by taking over UPLOAD’S 20,000 feet of co-working space and transforming it into a female forward workspace and community that welcomes women, men and all genders,” The Riveter CEO Amy Nelson said in a statement.
The Riveter is working with Upload to honor membership of the existing members. Its rates range from $150 per month for a floating desk to $2,200 for a private office.
The new space will be The Riveter’s fourth location. In addition to existing locations in Seattle, the company’s home base, it recently opened another L.A. facility in West L.A., where it held Backstage Capital’s first investor day on Monday.
The Riveter differentiates itself from other co-working spaces with amenities, programming, and other membership perks geared toward female professionals. For example, you won’t find keggers and foosball tables, but instead mothers rooms and daily yoga classes.
Founded in 2017, The Riveter raised $4.75 million in March to help expand across the U.S. It currently occupies 35,000 square feet of space and expects that number to double over the next three months.
Other women-focused co-working spaces include Hera Hub, Radiant, The Hivery, Paper Dolls, Shecosystem, and The Wing. Co-working industry leader WeWork reached a $20 billion valuation last year after raising a $4.4 billion round.
