The rise of remote and hybrid work has created an unexpected crisis for over 36 million American professionals: there’s nowhere to take a private call. While companies invested billions in collaboration software, they overlooked the fundamental human need for quiet, private space. More than 40% of remote workers now resort to taking calls from cars, closets, or bathrooms – a symptom of the disconnect between how work happens and where it happens. ALCOVE addresses this by deploying premium, soundproofed Pods in hotels and neighborhoods where professionals already live and travel, offering bookable private workspace for $18 per hour with no membership required. Designed by the creative teams behind Soho House, Glossier, and SoulCycle, each 4×7′ Pod features sit-stand desks, ergonomic leather chairs, and 30-decibel acoustic ratings that meet workplace soundproofing standards. Since launching in October 2024, the company has served over 1,000 paying customers who’ve reserved more than 10,000 hours across locations in Brooklyn, Berkeley, and now through partnerships with Hyatt Regency Lake Washington and Fairmont San Francisco, with more than half returning to book again.
AlleyWatch sat down with ALCOVE CEO and Founder Helen Knight to learn more about the business, its future plans, recent funding round, and much more, much more…
Who were your investors and how much did you raise
We raised a $1M pre-seed round from strategic operators and founders who personally understand the problem ALCOVE solves, including Christine Wendell (Pronto Housing) and former Congressman Patrick E. Murphy (Togal AI). Many of our investors are remote and hybrid workers themselves and became customers before backing the company.
Tell us about the product or service that ALCOVE offers.
ALCOVE’s premium, private Pods make the productive mindset a reality at home or away. Designed by the creative teams behind Soho House, Glossier, and SoulCycle, these hospitality-grade environments are strategically being deployed in hotels and neighborhoods, including partnerships with Hilton Brooklyn, Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, Fairmont San Francisco, and more. Over 1,200 guests have reserved more than 10,000 hours organically in our first year, with more than half returning to reserve again. ALCOVE provides a turnkey amenity, at no cost to our partners, that generates $40-100k annual gross revenue per Pod, with a 20% share to our partners. ALCOVE manages installation, guest support, and marketing from start to finish. ALCOVE is establishing a new standard for private, professional spaces that help untethered professionals access their best thinking. ALCOVE’s mission is to unlock the productive mindset.
What inspired the start of ALCOVE?
I started ALCOVE after feeling the squeeze of city life in my Prospect Heights apartment with my husband and baby. I loved the energy of the beautiful and thoughtfully-designed hotel lobbies in Mexico City’s Condesa, but realized that sometimes, what people really need is space: space to think, create, and plan without distractions. That simple insight grew into ALCOVE: a first-of-its-kind productive space where private Pods transport guests to calm, focused havens.
How is ALCOVE different?
Most alternatives force a tradeoff between privacy, convenience, or cost. ALCOVE is the only solution that delivers all three. Our Pods are designed specifically for focused work, built with hospitality-grade design expertise, and placed exactly where people already live and travel. For partners, ALCOVE provides partners a turnkey amenity that delights guests and is revenue generating.
What market does ALCOVE target and how big is it?
ALCOVE serves untethered professionals: consultants, founders, and executives who need private, reliable spaces to focus whether at home, in the city, or while traveling. Remote and hybrid work has become a consistent part of how people work, with nearly 23% of U.S. employees (around 36 million people) working remotely at least part of the time.
What’s your business model?
ALCOVE guests can directly reserve their Pod for as few as 15 minutes and pay-as-they-go. Reservations are priced at $18 per hour.
How are you preparing for a potential economic slowdown?
With the rise of remote work and an increase in layoffs leading more people to freelance or start their own ventures, demand for quiet, private space is arguably needed more than ever. We are focused on meeting that need by continuing to deliver a dependable, high-touch experience our guests can rely on, regardless of the broader economic climate.
What was the funding process like?
For ALCOVE, it was key to find investors who personally believed in our mission because they themselves had experienced the challenge of needing somewhere to take a call and being unable to find it. Our model is novel and the area is quite specific, so it was definitely an art rather than a science to find these investors and bring them on board – and a very personal and relationship-driven process. Our investors have all been instrumental to our strategic journey, as well – they are an incredible group of leaders, professionals and experts.
What are the biggest challenges that you faced while raising capital?
Raising capital for almost any business post-the ZIRP era is a real challenge. The macro challenges posed by high rates are compounded if you’re a new business, in a novel space, and not squarely in a traditional funding area like B2B AI products.
What factors about your business led your investors to write the check?
Personal understanding of the pain point we’re solving, and recognizing the unique insights that I brought to the problem in being my own target customer. As we started to grow and generate revenue and a loyal base of guests, seeing that success and customer retention and satisfaction was also powerful.
Personal understanding of the pain point we’re solving, and recognizing the unique insights that I brought to the problem in being my own target customer. As we started to grow and generate revenue and a loyal base of guests, seeing that success and customer retention and satisfaction was also powerful.
What are the milestones you plan to achieve in the next six months?
We’ll open several additional locations, dozens of additional Pods, and launch in new markets!
What advice can you offer companies in New York that do not have a fresh injection of capital in the bank?
Do as much as you can with what you have now. If you have customers and you’re generating revenue, double down on talking to them, understanding what they love about you and what you can do better, and refining your offering as much as you can without significant new investment. If you haven’t yet gone to market, launch with a lean MVP as quickly as possible – start generating revenue, learning what works and what doesn’t, and building a customer base and proof of concept to show to future investors.
Where do you see the company going now over the near term?
Our North Star is to meet our guests everywhere they need us, so they’ll never have to worry about where to take a call. In the next year, we’ll be expanding to the key markets and locations where our guests are already asking us to go, while investing in operations and technology to ensure we can scale our signature white-glove guest experience.
What’s your favorite winter destination in and around the city?
I have an 18-month-old, so museums, IKEA, and indoor play cafes like House of Wonder in Clinton Hill… and Long Meadow in Prospect Park when there’s fresh snow!
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