Next Story Group is accelerating the growth of its genre-defining Kafnu brand across Asia Pacific. Following the successful launch of Kafnu Hong Kong in late 2017, Next Story Group opened Kafnu Taipei and Kafnu Bengaluru this year. Kafnu Alexandria in Sydney and Kafnu Saigon Pearl in Vietnam are slated to open by the end of 2018, and with five confirmed Kafnu properties in the pipeline. Next Story Group is targeting a portfolio of 50 Kafnu communities by 2021.
Kafnu is envisioned as an urban village - for a new generation of creators. Not just for creative professionals like designers and artistes but also for creators who are establishing companies and creating social impact. Kafnu is a collective of hyphenates, who are inherently curious, willing to explore their full potential and whose self-identity extends beyond their profession.
"As hyphenates rapidly grow in gateway cities across Asia, they seek access to new types of community relations, infrastructure and services. Kafnu is proving to be that ideal community where they can really belong. Kafnu's infrastructure is a seamless blend of a private members club, shared workspace and boutique hotel. We are most excited about the interplay and collaboration possibilities between our members and that the role we play in being a catalyst in their journey," said Anand Nadathur, Group Chief Executive Officer for Next Story Group.
In Kafnu's hub-and-spoke strategy, a large city 'hub' of 5,000 - 10,000sqm is surrounded by 'spoke' locations of 2,000 - 5000sqm to offer Kafnu members the same level of utility and connectivity wherever they go. It provides members with access to strategic partnerships, premium services and private curated events, elevating their individual and collective potential.
"These back-to-back Kafnu launches form just the initial phase of our hub-and-spoke strategy, which supports our goal of operating 50 Kafnu locations across Asia Pacific within three years. A region-wide network means that our Kafnu members can access like-minded communities of hyphenates wherever they travel to," added Andreas Flaig, Group Chief Development Officer, Next Story Group. "At the same time, we believe that Kafnu's unique value proposition will enable real estate owners to capture the burgeoning growth of shared work spaces and be truly differentiated in today's competitive market."
To date, there are three operating Kafnu properties. By the end of 2018, Kafnu will be present in five locations. The upcoming Kafnu openings in 2018 are:
- Kafnu Alexandria is located in a three-storey building along Bourke Road, in a neighbourhood that is a hub for creators and designers. Located in Sydney, Kafnu Alexandria will offer 16 guest rooms, a range of work spaces and meeting rooms, a podcast studio, a photo studio, a brainstorming room and an Oxygen Lab.
- Kafnu Saigon Pearl is situated in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City and will offer eight floors of facilities, including work spaces, a lounge and music room, an entertainment room, an events floor, as well as an executive floor with nine guest rooms.
In 2019, Kafnu will be present in Colombo and Mumbai and will establish a second one in Bengaluru.
Kafnu is an intimate, independent community of boundary-pushing hyphenates. Designed for members to Work, Learn, Play and Live, Kafnu enables co-creation, co-exploration and co-innovation. Kafnu gives members access to strategic partnerships, premium services and private events, elevating their individual and collective potential. Kafnu has locations in Hong Kong, Taipei and Bengaluru and is expanding across Asia Pacific. Its pipeline includes locations in Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City, Colombo, Mumbai and Bali. For more information: www.kafnu.com
Next Story Group creates and transforms urban spaces into thriving communities by harnessing the power of human imagination and innovation. The group currently owns, manages and franchises close to 40 hotels and resorts in Australia and Thailand and manages two Kafnu spaces in Taipei and Hong Kong. It has a pipeline of over 10 properties across the Asia Pacific region. For more information: www.nextstory.com