DeskAmigo, a platform connecting remote workers with underused spaces across Portugal, has secured €350,000 in pre-seed funding from a group of Portuguese and British entrepreneurs.
The investors come from the hospitality, food and beverage, and real estate sectors, according to information shared exclusively with Portugal Startup News. Their names were not disclosed.
The funding will be used to further develop the platform, improve the user experience, add new features, and give users and venues more flexibility.
“Our investors are all successful entrepreneurs in their own right,” said Charles Whitmee, founder and CEO of DeskAmigo. “They are people I look up to. Leaders in the exact sectors we operate in: hospitality, F&B, and real estate in Portugal.”
The investment follows what DeskAmigo described as a “strong” first half of 2026.
“In the first six months of this year, we demonstrated that DeskAmigo has the potential to revolutionize the world of work,” said Dayse Brilhante, co-founder and CSO of DeskAmigo. “Nothing validates our thesis more than this vote of confidence from our investors.”
How DeskAmigo works
DeskAmigo is a marketplace for short-term workspace bookings, connecting remote professionals with businesses that have underused space available at different times of the day.
It includes cafés, restaurants, hotels, coworking spaces, meeting rooms, gyms, yoga studios, surf schools, and other venues. Users can choose a location and date, see available options, and book directly through the platform.
Half-day and full-day options are available, as well as packages that combine workspace access with food, drinks, or other perks.
The platform was created around the different needs of remote workers and venue owners. Remote workers may need somewhere outside their home or office to work for a few hours, while hospitality businesses can have tables, rooms, or other areas that are unused during quieter periods.
DeskAmigo allows those businesses to make that space available for work without permanently turning it into dedicated office space.
The company says its founders had experienced the issue from both sides, as remote workers and former café employees. They saw workers struggling to find places where they could stay and work comfortably, while venues were dealing with customers occupying tables for extended periods.
Before developing the platform, the team spoke with around 250 café and restaurant owners across Portugal to understand what they needed from the service.
Venues decide how many spaces to make available, set their own prices, and choose when those spaces can be booked. A restaurant, for example, can offer tables between lunch and dinner service and remove availability during busier periods.
DeskAmigo says businesses can join the platform without an upfront cost.
Funding to develop the product
The €350,000 round will allow DeskAmigo to invest further in the product as it grows its network of spaces.
“This funding will allow us to give the DeskAmigo concept the product it deserves. Better UI/UX, more features, more flexibility,” Whitmee said.
Users can currently search by location and date and filter results by listing type, price, category, and other criteria.
Individual listings provide information about the workspace and available facilities. Depending on the venue, this can include Wi-Fi, power outlets, food and drink, and whether pets are allowed.
DeskAmigo says listings are reviewed before publication. In most cases, a member of its team also visits the venue to check the space and provide DeskAmigo signage and materials.
The company targets freelancers, digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and other professionals who work remotely and need somewhere to work for a limited period rather than a permanent office or desk.
DeskAmigo for Business
DeskAmigo is also developing “DeskAmigo for Business,” an offering it has already trialled with several small businesses.
The model is aimed at companies with remote or distributed teams, giving employees access to nearby workspaces without requiring employers to pay for permanent desks or traditional coworking memberships.
“Essentially, it is somewhere between an employee perk for remote workers and a superior alternative to paying for coworking spaces or flexible offices,” Whitmee said.
“We are repurposing existing, quality spaces across the city so that your team is never more than a few minutes’ walk away from a reliable, safe, regulated space to work and collaborate outside of their homes.”
Whitmee believes the model could reduce workspace costs and commute times, while supporting employee wellbeing and productivity and directing more business towards local venues.
How venues and users benefit from the model
DeskAmigo officially launched in January 2026 following a soft launch in November 2025.
Alongside cafés, restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality businesses, coworking spaces can also offer short-term access through DeskAmigo.
Whitmee previously told Portugal Startup News that the company sees coworking operators as partners rather than competitors, giving users a way to try a space before committing to a membership while helping operators reach potential longer-term customers.
For venue owners, the model provides another way to earn revenue from space that might otherwise be empty.
According to Whitmee, one hotel using DeskAmigo converted part of its underused lobby into bookable workspace and generated nearly €2,000 in January alone.
From bootstrapping to external funding
DeskAmigo had been bootstrapped before raising the new pre-seed round. The team says it deliberately waited to seek external investment until it had seen demand from both venues and users.
The company also has plans to expand beyond Portugal. Spain has been identified as a potential next market, with Valencia, Barcelona, and Madrid among the cities under consideration.
Whitmee sees DeskAmigo as part of a broader shift toward more flexible ways of working.
“The trend is really very much towards flexibility,” Whitmee said. “In the future, people are going to want ultimate variety and dynamism, and we hope DeskAmigo can play a role in enabling that.”
Read more: From cafés to surf schools – DeskAmigo turns underused spaces into workspaces on venues’ terms
Featured image: Photo courtesy of DeskAmigo
Portugal Startup News 