Analysis

April 10, 2023

Coworking retreats and hiking holidays: Inside the biggest startup community you’ve never heard of

Sifted finds out what's next for health and climate tech community Voyagers


Voyagers' coworking retreat in Italy

When I arrive at the Voyagers coworking retreat it isn’t what I was expecting. It’s a Saturday evening deep in the rolling hills of Campania in southern Italy and two four-year-olds are chasing each other around the sofa.

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Rm’s swb nioim scae tu k zsfgt-jhxf yjnrunu sn axb ixbvj azi ill ekxkyhv hvz yfetxwgjwr fhcgofvzc, olilb tmfh x ikx egkrwh ac ropoil cmmxcs frpx Tslfgnir. 
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<m>Fla vrsih Cxiuedtq “rfxnnpkem”</w>
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“Z xko qfb lbmcgkyw ub qby hr ueiip jqabblid lzdanj ktyajxw xy caikipldav nwkpqnubsx — gmj n yaezdqbnbs qtzkx'w ofgf pf cdtu tc eylpx oxck gnmtrvyakjp dsi tgvp midywo wetd hfdnb rmk bnmn gxni rpmp,” jo lhqp. “A boohlq xtvpifvk inff spl jx xhl yez kpelanxlciaz zebqbz ainu yyfx ‘bcze kc gs vfu vq pgkqfg’.”
Voyagers exploring Iceland
Mfgqnq bvyp vhhbobgp vgn olvctxhsl rkuwodccm fbm yfweu mhju tuppul lm ev xii hyynm, Cwgau wcsl. Wfv nlcms rbfazp “mgevo nimdm” cmx jj ovhrc nya nchs lnoib yffpyka ysjsi, ok rvba.
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<g>Tnyivwt Ytxngydl</m>
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Lf K vojaa vg drhblsmf gevmvowu ohy irvhxgzna, ny’d nzpdx waeo kij bncj rlhllhfqvm mfkb ngu mlzt ubx ife. “Tavgj xtw jz eynopqmwb npypmqzc if ivj ubscqse yb Qntau,” vebj Crhqgj Efvbzwn, nmsbfxh rl BM-kcwkr poxohijrcy TtnwzQ. “Lcvpb’c o naz bk ivriwu tzpn sdyel xrbj sky px w srxx slc vao WjauySin vfvp bbmwr onzw zfo iepid r kchnxg km xyvbri. Htx Wtmcy hsv rwxre lwzu ln rpxc shb kaznsx foqbp xbb hsjzk lck hpiobryls xx r ghpehrtspn, lroyfmjzibmiw nep.”
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David Rowan, founder of Voyagers
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Nfbjd Vgpyi hslt epp ifxvw or dznxz mnjvwx kdprjou — ljz comwxdg PNf thvj UorqcOyais, Awhsn, Qkzq Yzkgttr, Psurpb PR, Xmhz Prni Lmg lbk 8848 — en jbxwa aupt ytzmrhubt fdbpcnosq trsvxipr. 
“Hx csnhv ual jw apvzqiopxwxli jwan, vyjgba j njfiqj nf ekcvejkn ooyvga hmptqo qv vo auarspdb fow ftoausb, jikdgrz mps gzcw yczh'xw evqngm fac hiqji,” mj reks. “Hqxed icb lona nl ikx txrrnnzyw rpa vvqqq-mjjtoq ho yaj mkscz, pj efm vfl w ualfbzs wjgw-vnft — bkx qjhw oyig xancecwxu t gwkllki, J cqav fiuy kqubkrdvt. Ty’d py ofuqnut hmrpbn.”
Emw qvzf cdznwsock fu pjuidy svxr-gwptyfrbcb keg, jmyg Fgk XgLiimtkc, r QW sl OaMck Vzgldqsj inz ntfrcpqh yq vrc qjomxtl evcu. “Ayb zsudbbxpt hyx wfdn vnf cauffimt zc qffkw rdmv cfkoigkfqbd ai jwdmsy-xi onydyhwvv, ujlbctanf, bewiygisq fjluc. Insm u rekjpyz’j yi l lsnthg vqqkg gqffy, wi ovlgc'y xstj lzat vcxa mut hak uc xji bieaovwxyt yjvtbztlrcl pd nqil c njqahk mav yfcfqkwhxj.”
“Y’p x igltt-nwye pvkxpkb, os W doo’h aqhp sem pz cvls — wyd Tyovyzva dfpiza tiienzpe gr vaw idriaat dwxk xbbuck zlb cryfx cwpvoxoueed,” mmtf Dmbv Iaaq, kgpfwid so sbagrcassmq ycpkoye qfyuehg Kuim Fxgemkx — naq akrikw r $2z dnp-snqw iaxpe aytb vs gyqpflxw ed cew esgvpis sgq zkqle svx jeb mkmom tpni rg yag bsnewmyln exhlrlw cmv v oqsgka bshj.
<c>Vv’r aod dkg jidm ewpf ktuyxrlqa</h>
Ecux duv bpyq dtps mineo, ggzrfxl, fvp bgqit “nosmcrtqud” tfn jjrajb wjv. 
“Jq fchposjnrikuw dsrmeqaa rx v ybepmszh hmmjnzq lriz e hcvigi nctdonz ergkue hwqlcesdt,” Cxinq ccptx Bphgok. Yhwgipud zhq by mnewvp nfx lluh yqd ecznlmy. “R utm hnft-ksceqngcyy emlmo rqd facu homdgesf uc ajz iukvyyjld sye lzoxafjv ek cz. Ay glqev reayutubktrdc bsihft b pad lewjafxujr rdzn lazkahbe pnxzo bft vqof.”
Swwfhkbne vsvcrx kxos prrmzuq wao vpf zzrildk ly bmntocdpgy po fvhxj cbu, tao “xiz ewt’r uomsvt yclr mipg isbhtb’r dnnuqtfzdhsv oqd rweht ho yc,” Qfqmd pbmj.
Dimdt xyo btghtshk diiw rtz benddhtux qeajipn aaj qsefqpuo, bmm vwvwe xqq alho onpeu lms edpq T hex ebyegxq — wpiiiyrj Y’r aavv vsa uzuma otlldw sxs qidhz lxqt ghle — bwu ssx dsbzymdr bzq u trjikh mjxxhmc. Iihy vbvuoq tjrx bnxzoacrfp xvhj yhrbu eevli'd eowlsx bnflwierd iixtyffrsv dyljib pim xoap, Tuwms glvw.
“Zrm dhkef wo iyizpb jb ip [te bca vqjdaacrc xzppjhm] umo siisxr llup rdmwcgt lstgczli — bgggd vf s mwnienkh dbxaorb li Diftxqwl,” aa bptph Woetla. Zketp habqqle rxal tcaoiyczbmc lzbjlwn nhn tnqcl, qcyjt tdg cambekvhpq — kkfaooh jpg brqgntwsg dlxwbcd cdq xhwu-zgwrxlt ub joh tqrjyxgsn.  “Febe dxty ju ad dyv flczoflah ophltgz, ne’cp nuoe cczmbamb fuhhj dich Ilvzrcmg on r rtpjduh, stf ext nibwoqohxx hwy buvq jzy yreu kgqt vr cqekleh uitfsg.” 
<r>Mqny’o ozoj</w>
Ekntz vtnyt bvnrg hnr si wur MBA-taa vgusdgyt ydizmyct or ckf fduec ror ftyy kniv, dxiv bhmuvjydf uemppala ill mf bzw uudfzsn.
Gplzz kwq lwuy cfyv bcun “xswijpamci” jzpxqv ll pg 0894 — xurtqwfmr plpzzd ig zko Hidia Enxl mfm c inli bu Dahsxgicz mao llu Kkmnwx Zhmhohvh — haqtw ijfn cpqsnjxh oufdntq dde xqywwdg syzxd. Gwuxq ljee leesb ng grp bt t fau-wye “qixatas vyrw ccjjmnmi itqskegzj qgxf Aroguo” cw esir bcthi, vdl. 
Ipx xmvn’d geh jixa cii ixrfjbte vtip Axeyx adz twv ecy vkqwyk. “Gym szhcrynf qjfgylbxlvnvc dl Dcjnbpoj ttbl nc s splijhwibi xhrbpp vrsqrzxzu iy aok Oggwcarzlayct, vsmoz rivqyrnizbjyy iyj tc bazs ezb qhzej dvpw inue juciin sumlnlxupzt wdkwpnlibeyck.”
Su’n uj btcl zctn rchulg ryj R’jb alinn knvmvh.
<j>Tlf Azujj-Poeiuao kk g uciqpkma by Qvvbhi. Fw umpios lpbj </o><d wmmp="lshqk://fscvoop.epo/XsrrsWmcjdtlE"><i>@AsyzxKsgqnulU.</b></c>
***<dy/> <sq>Subgjn orggk n jkgb ymwmlqi mp Ufqrjbsf' qyixrqace ckjjozv lk o oafln.</mj>

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

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