How COLAB pioneered premium and innovative coworking offers in Abidjan

2015, when the revitalization of the city of Abidjan is confirmed, after the end of the crisis in Ivory Coast, a new entrepreneurial vibe begins to signal its ambitions.

At that time, there were barely a dozen offers in the Ivorian economic capital that could be assimilated to coworking spaces. But in reality, it was more about communities that organized themselves to federate entrepreneurial and innovation dynamics, by creating environments where the actors of an ecosystem still in its infancy could feel in phase with the spirit of their projects, and create a sharing of best practices. One could think of O’village, Akendawa or Jokkolabs. These places were not really designed to allow entrepreneurs to settle in the short and medium term, and the generation of income from the provision of workspaces was not an essential objective of their operations.

Alongside these communities qualified as third places, the city also offered a few addresses that were beginning to define themselves as coworking spaces, the term becoming trendy. For this category, it was mainly pure office rental offers, with very little flexibility, mainly offering private spaces suitable for solid SMEs, and very rarely offering shared spaces. Examples of Kalimba or Regus (now IWG). And what fundamentally did not make them coworking spaces in the authentic spirit of this concept is that there were very few, if any, facilities, services, concepts and events, thought out and intentionally implemented to promote networking, sharing of experiences, inspiration and state of mind, favorable to the entrepreneurial culture that the city of Abidjan needed to boost and accelerate for the benefit of its talents the most innovative.

It is in this context that COLAB will have pioneered an authentic coworking space offer in Abidjan, as the city has never known before. I personally had the privilege of participating in this incredible adventure from the moment of its conception, and of being a leading worker, under the leadership of a totally futuristic and transformative vision in the Abidjan of this time still so recent.

8 years after its launch, I wanted, through a commented photo album, to tell how, from my point of view, COLAB succeeded in tracing the path of the modernity of coworking in Abidjan, inspiring to this day a great majority of similar projects that were born subsequently, now making the city of Abidjan one of the most attractive in the region for coworking space offers, business centers and incubators.

1- Quality and originality in the choice, configuration and layout of the site

The opening of COLAB immediately created a huge difference in the city of Abidjan, due to an extraordinary site, a prestigious address on “Rue des Jardins” in the prestigious “Vallon” district, quality furniture, original and diversified spaces, creative and audacious decorative choices.

2- The creation of an inspiring and motivating place

The Colab was designed to inject an innovative and creative state of mind in Abidjan, and encourage everyone there to draw the best from them through their projects. The quotes adorning the walls of the Colab spaces have captivated its occupants and visitors for years.

3- The construction of an environment that has changed the way of conceiving the workplace

With a mix of workspaces, meeting/training rooms, event and relaxation areas, a restaurant, but also a co-living accommodation offer at the Tipi residence, Colab has opened the road to a completely new way of conceiving the work environment in Abidjan.

4- The design of innovative and flexible formulas

Like its “INTRAPRENEUR” offer, Colab has shaken up the market with workspace access offers based on a new concept of work organization for professionals. This has resulted in particular in “à la carte” offers, i.e. by the hour, half-day or full day. But also packages of access days that can be used over a period defined according to your schedule. ATTENTION: The prices appearing on this image are no longer to be considered as a valid and current offer available at Colab Abidjan.

5- The impetus of a dynamic that has boosted the ecosystem, and not just an office supply

By creating a unique environment in Abidjan, with an audacious approach, Colab quickly became the new crossroads of actors and events shaking up the Abidjan entrepreneurial ecosystem such as Seedstars. Coupled with the networking that has been set up between the users of the workspaces, attending the Colab has become a concrete opportunity to accelerate its opportunities and its success in Abidjan.

6- The imagination and implementation of new concepts in Abidjan in a coworking space

With very original concepts such as SPEED-NETWORKING, Colab has designed and organized several events that have moved the lines in the Abidjan ecosystem of entrepreneurship.

Anyone passing through Colab could leave their business card available to the entire community. She could also consult the business cards available, and find contacts likely to become potential partners in her projects.

7- A framework that has helped facilitate the connection of entrepreneurs with large companies and government authorities

Colab has worked to put its business and institutional network in contact with the entrepreneurial dynamic that was created in this coworking space. Like Daouda COULIBALY, who as Managing Director of Société Ivoirienne de Banque at the time, had chosen Colab for the launch of SmartUp, a hackathon organized by the Attijariwafa bank group of which he is today the Deputy CEO. But also Ministers Abdourahmane CISSE and Sidi Tiémeko TOURE, respectively at the time of their passage to Colab Minister of Budget and State Portfolio for the first, and Minister of Youth Promotion, Youth Employment and civic service for the second.

8- “Le Piment du Jardin”, a restaurant at the heart of a coworking space

Colab is also the first coworking space in Abidjan which made the audacious choice, from its conception, to set up an internal restaurant, with the aim of contributing to creating this unprecedented experience of a 360 degree working environment. Designed, fitted out and then operated entirely by Colab teams, “Le Piment du Jardin” has also greatly contributed to making this space stand out in Abidjan as a new kind of coworking concept in the city.

9- A dream team in a futuristic project !

Beyond the revolution created in the design of a coworking space, Colab also inspired Abidjan by the identity and culture of the team that made it possible. A fresh and young team, a casting that bet on atypical and dreamy profiles from all over the world. The Colab launch team embodied what we wanted to infuse in the city of Abidjan in this coworking space: AUDACITY, DREAM, VISION and WORK !

10- A deeply disruptive coworking space business model in Abidjan

Behind the passion for setting up a coworking space and injecting a new entrepreneurial dynamic into the city, Colab was above all a business, financed solely with founder’s equity, without subsidies or institutional aid, and therefore with a huge imperative to financial balance and ultimately profitability. This project was therefore a real entrepreneurial challenge. And the business model put in place was totally disruptive for 2 reasons: the first was this brilliant idea of ​​creating Colab at the heart of a communication and media group, Beezy Africa, with the communication agency Piment Bleu, which brought creative know-how to Colab and its community; The 2nd reason was to create a hyper-diversified income model, trying to solve in the same offer the maximum of needs that entrepreneurs and startups could have, namely: workspaces, meeting facilities, organization of training, domiciliation, organization of events, everyday catering and catering during events, accommodation, digital communication.

The Colab adventure was an exciting and super enriching moment for me. At such a crucial moment in my career, when I had made a founding choice, taking a total professional turn based on my entrepreneurial convictions, starting this new path as Manager of such an innovative and daring project was an incredible opportunity and privilege ! This experience simply laid the foundations for the very specific skills that I have been able to build over the past 8 years.