Soundproofed working pods that provide privacy in busy locations have been installed at Edinburgh airport and a city hotel.
The pods are designed to address a growing trend for “meetings in motion” which was identified as one of the key Business Travel Trends for 2025 by forecasting agency Globetrender.
They feature advanced private wi-fi networks with security-grade encryption, smart LED lighting, air filtration systems, and ergonomic seating for those who suddenly find they need a private space for sensitive business calls.
Edinburgh remote working business Swurf has agreed partnership deals with the airport and Yotel in Queen Street. There are plans to roll-out the initiative across UK transport hubs, conference centres, and other airports.
Swurf was founded in 2020 during the pandemic by Nikki Gibson to connect remote and hybrid professionals with underused space in hospitality venues.
It now has more than 450 signed up, available to 12,000 users, generating £1.85 million for its hospitality partners, including Hilton, IHG, Kew Green Hotels.
Swurf has recently secured six-figure follow-on investment backed by private investors, the Scottish Government’s Techscaler programme, and Scottish Enterprise.
The investment round was also supported by Gareth Williams, co-founder of Skyscanner, who has been a long-term investor.
This funding is aimed at accelerating Swurf’s expansion across the UK, selected European markets, and preparing for further global growth.
The company also recently announced that G-Hold founder Alison Grieve, former Swurf fractional CTO Scott Leckie, and Daniel Rodgers, founder of QikServe, have joined its board.
Ms Gibson said: “Our research consistently highlighted that taking private calls whilst travelling is the biggest challenge facing hybrid workers and business travellers.
“Traditional meeting room hire at airports and hotels can be prohibitively expensive and often unavailable at short notice. The Swurf Pod solves this with an on-demand, affordable solution that can be accessed within minutes.
“We are now focused on deploying 100 pods across the UK in the next 12 months with key commercial partners in the pipeline. We’re also looking to raise further investment early in 2026 to support global growth.”
Stephanie Wear, chief commercial officer at Edinburgh Airport, said: “We’re always looking for new ways to make travel easier and more comfortable for our passengers, and these new SWURF pods are a great example of that.”
Margaret Auld, general manager of Yotel Edinburgh, said: “This partnership with Swurf demonstrates our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of nomadic business professionals.
“With the growth of the ‘bleisure’ travel (business leisure) and the rising number of remote workers in and around city centres, we must adapt to provide the infrastructure that today’s professionals require.
“These pods represent an innovative use of space that generate additional revenue for the hotel whilst solving a real customer pain point. Remote workers can now come into the hotel, work in a comfortable setting and still have the privacy required for important meetings.”
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