Entrepreneur Lauren Perrett founded her New South Wales-based startup BubbaDesk with a simple goal to help parents to work productively while staying close to their children.
The startup, which was founded by the mother of two in November 2022, announced its first corporate partnership with graphic design unicorn Canva this week.
It’s the first-of-its-kind collaboration for both companies and seeks to help with the challenge of juggling work and childcare, support the work-life balance of employees and enhance their overall job satisfaction.
BubbaDesk is Australia’s first co-working space with onsite childcare services designed for modern working parents.
More than 3,000 families have already voiced their interest in the company, with hundreds actively using the service.
Perrett told SmartCompany that while this concept is growing rapidly in the US and Europe, BubbaDesk is proud to be the pioneer in bringing it to Australia.
“And we’re now the largest co-working-with-childcare provider globally by number of locations,” she says.
“I believe offering BubbaDesk as a benefit to parents returning to work is a no-brainer, especially for larger companies.”
Over the last 12 months, BubbaDesk has grown its revenue at a rate of 520% and has expanded to locations in Erina, St Leonards, Caringbah and Wollongong.
The startup also has new spaces in Sydney’s Inner West, Brisbane and Orange launching in the coming months.
Perrett says BubbaDesk was born from her personal experience navigating the challenges of returning to work after the birth of her first son, Charles.
“I wasn’t ready to leave him at a traditional daycare — it didn’t make sense given my hybrid work arrangements, and the cost was prohibitive since we didn’t qualify for much Child Care Subsidy (CCS),” she says.
“Hiring a nanny wasn’t a viable option either, with costs exceeding $1,400 a week.
“I quickly realised I wasn’t alone in feeling torn between my maternal instinct to stay close to my child during their early years, and my desire to pursue my career.”
Initially bootstrapped, BubbaDesk raised $500,000 through a family and friends raise last year and is now in the midst of a Series B funding round, with the majority of capital coming from existing investors.
However, Perrett has confirmed the startup is also exploring external options to support its next phase of growth, with this funding set to enable it to scale from its current four locations to nine by 2025.
Through the BubbaDesk and Canva partnership, Australian Canva employees will receive a 10% discount on subscription memberships to BubbaDesk, for subscriptions six months or longer, and a two-for-one exclusive benefit on casual packs.
Perrett says the partnership came about serendipitously.
“We had already noticed several Canva employees using our service, and it wasn’t long before they began requesting their Employee Benefits team to explore a more formal arrangement with us,” she says.
“The alignment was clear — BubbaDesk was a natural fit for a company like Canva that values innovation and employee wellbeing.”
Depending on the location, BubbaDesk subscriptions can range in cost from $145 to $160 per day.
Perrett says the “returning to the office” conversation is a hot topic right now.
“While it is evident all employees value flexibility, that is especially true for parents who are potentially having to return to the workforce sooner than they had anticipated when faced with the current cost of living,” she says.
“With BubbaDesk, parents can eliminate the stress of multiple drop-offs and the anxiety of leaving their baby in unfamiliar care. Instead, they can work productively with their young children close by, continue breastfeeding, and connect with other like-minded parents at a similar life stage.
“For employers, BubbaDesk provides a powerful tool for retaining top talent by addressing one of the primary reasons parents, especially mothers, leave the workforce: the lack of adequate childcare and the desire to spend more time with their children.
Already, the announcement of the Canva partnership has prompted other companies to get in touch with BubbaDesk to help support their employees with hybrid work arrangements”, says Perrett.
“Our mission is to become the first choice for Australian parents seeking childcare solutions as they transition back to work, and partnering with corporates is a natural extension of that goal,” says the founder.
BubbaDesk memberships are tax-deductible and members can also adjust their days based on their weekly schedules, with the service also able to be shared with their partners.
Perrett says BubbaDesk has seen high demand across Australia, with thousands of people registering their interest each month.
“This response is driving our plans for continued national expansion. As career and family life become increasingly fluid and integrated, we believe that our return-to-work model will become the standard for professional parents now and in the future,” she says.
“In addition to our physical locations, we’re also looking to diversify our offerings by building a digital platform to enhance community connections.”
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