Epicenter scales across Europe with Parakey

Introduction

As Epicenter expands across Europe, the ambition is to create one connected coworking community – even when its members are spread across different cities and locations.

By combining mobile access from Parakey with the business system Nexudus, Epicenter can simplify key management, automate access and create a consistent experience across its locations.

Key benefits

• Scalable access across locations – a consistent access solution that supports expansion into new cities and markets.
  
  
• One connected member experience – members can access Epicenter locations in a familiar way, even when moving between cities.
  
  
• Automated access with Nexudus – membership and booking information can automatically control access permissions, reducing manual administration.
  
  
• Mobile access in Epicenter's own app – members can unlock doors directly through the app they already use.
  
  
• Greater control and security – digital permissions make it easier to manage who can access different spaces.

About Epicenter

Epicenter is an innovation house and coworking community with locations in Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and Amsterdam. It brings together entrepreneurs, startups and established companies to drive innovation, collaboration and business development.

We spoke with Charlie Briheim, IT Manager, at Epicenter, about how the company manages access across its locations and the role of scalable digital infrastructure as Epicenter continues to expand.

Challenge

As Epicenter expands across Europe, the challenge is to create a consistent member experience across locations – without increasing access administration at the same pace.

With members, visitors and event attendees moving through its spaces, Epicenter operates in a dynamic environment where access needs constantly change. Each new house brings more doors, spaces and permissions to manage, making a scalable approach essential.

With Nexudus already supporting membership management and bookings, Epicenter wanted access to work alongside its existing systems rather than as a separate process.

Epicenter needed an access solution that could support its expansion while keeping access simple for members and manageable for staff. 

Solution

Mobile access in Epicenter's own app

Epicenter uses Parakey to provide mobile access to spaces such as private offices, entrances, meeting rooms and event areas. By integrating Parakey into Epicenter's own app, members can unlock authorized doors directly in the app they already use.

Epicenter's ambition is to bring everything members need into one place – from information and bookings to events and access. With Parakey, members can access their spaces directly through Epicenter's own app, bringing everything together in one place.

As Charlie explains:

“With Parakey, we are able to finalize everything in one area so that we only use one app for access to events, access to meeting rooms and access to Epicenter.”

Supporting Epicenter's expansion to Amsterdam

Epicenter's new house in Amsterdam marks another step in its European expansion. With Parakey, the team could build on an existing integration rather than develop a separate access solution for the new location.

As Charlie explains:

“The implementation here in Amsterdam was very simple because we just had to map out what memberships we have and what keys go to what membership. And from there, it was straightforward.”

Connecting Nexudus with Parakey

Epicenter uses Nexudus to manage memberships, meeting room bookings and events. Through its integration with Parakey, access permissions are connected to this information, allowing members to automatically receive the digital keys they need.

For example, when someone books a meeting room or event space, the corresponding access permissions can be assigned without additional manual administration.

As Charlie explains:

“We chose Parakey because the integration was already done, and Nexudus spoke very highly of Parakey. Then it was an easy decision for us.”

Result

Scaling the business without scaling access administration

By combining Parakey with Nexudus, Epicenter can manage access across a growing number of locations without introducing separate processes for each new house.

Automated permissions reduce manual administration and give the team greater control over who can access different spaces. This allows Epicenter to focus more on its members and daily operations as the business expands.

For Epicenter, one of the biggest benefits of Parakey has been the time saved on access management.

Previously, access administration relied heavily on the IT department. With Parakey, the team can now share these responsibilities with reception, making it easier to manage digital keys and ensure members have the right permissions.

Following successful implementations in Stockholm and Amsterdam, Epicenter is looking to roll out Parakey in Oslo and Finland as well.

“We started with Stockholm and Amsterdam to see how it works, and after a successful trial, we want to keep implementing Parakey in all of our locations.”

One house with different locations

For members, having mobile access integrated into Epicenter's own app means they can use the same app for information, bookings and unlocking doors – creating a familiar experience across locations.

With a consistent approach to access, Epicenter can bring its locations closer together and support its ambition of building one connected coworking community across Europe.

“With Parakey, we can be one house with different locations.”