London, 4 May 2021: Klarna, the leading global banking, payments and shopping service, has reaffirmed its commitment to the UK with a new office in London and larger premises in Manchester as it continues to expand across the country.
Klarna’s announcement follows a year of substantial growth and a $31bn valuation following its most recent $1bn funding round. It now serves over 14 million consumers and over 13,000 retailers in the UK. With over 200 staff across the country, the new offices will allow Klarna to grow, with plans to double its headcount in the UK over the next year.
Following a year of home working, Klarna is adopting a hybrid working policy for employees. Teams will work together in the office on two agreed days each week, with the flexibility to choose to work from home or the office on other days.
In London, Klarna has taken an 11,000 sq. ft. space at Aviation House in Holborn. This top floor space in the WeWork-run building will serve as the fintech’s new UK headquarters.
In Manchester, Klarna has expanded its existing office space located at the Old Granada Studios – a fast-developing payments and retail tech hub. Manchester is also an important location due to the number of high-growth retailers including Beauty Bay, Foot Asylum, In The Style, Missguided, JD Sports and Boohoo Group The expansion of Klarna’s northern hub reiterates its commitment to UK-wide growth.
Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK said: “These investments in new office space not only demonstrate our considerable growth, but also underline our ambitions to be an increasingly important part of the UK economy – shaping the future of how we shop, bank and pay.
“The response we saw to the pandemic from our teams was so impressive and the considerable growth we achieved over the last year is testament to their dedication to our merchants and customers in tough circumstances. I know many are eager to get back into the office to work together in person again. I’m certain the spaces we are creating for our teams and the flexible arrangements we have put in place will help them be even more creative and productive.”
Mathieu Proust, General Manager, UK, Ireland & Emerging Markets at WeWork, said: “The past year has highlighted the need for a more flexible way of working – one that supports collaboration, productivity and creativity – and this is a great example of a business understanding how the right workplace strategy is key in supporting growth. We are thrilled to see companies like Klarna provide flexible options for their teams to collaborate and connect at WeWork.”
About Klarna
We make shopping smooth. Klarna’s offering to consumers and retailers include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Over 250,000 retail partners, including H&M, IKEA, Expedia Group, Samsung, ASOS, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and AliExpress have enabled Klarna’s innovative shopping experience online and in-store. Klarna is one of the most highly valued private fintechs globally with a valuation of $31 billion. Klarna was founded in 2005, has over 4,000 employees and is active in 17 countries. For more information, visit klarna.com.
About WeWork
WeWork was founded in 2010 with the vision to create environments where people and companies come together and do their best work. Since opening our first location in New York City, we’ve grown into a global flexible space provider committed to delivering technology-driven flexible solutions, inspiring spaces, and unmatched community experiences. Today, we’re constantly reimagining how the workplace can help everyone, from freelancers to Fortune 500s, be more motivated, productive, and connected.
