Two wifi-enabled meeting pods have been unveiled at Edinburgh Airport to serve ‘digital nomads’ hopping onto business calls before their flights.
The airside sound-proofed pods, featuring security-grade encryption, smart LED lighting, air filtration systems, and ergonomic seating, offer travellers private space for sensitive business calls whilst on the move.
Traveltech startup SWURF, which hails from the city, have also installed a pod at the city’s Yotel hotel on Queen Street as it bids to capture a growing market for ‘meetings in motion’.
Nikki Gibson, Founder of SWURF, said: “Our research consistently highlighted that taking private calls whilst travelling is the biggest challenge facing hybrid workers and business travellers. Traditional meeting room hire at airports and hotels can be prohibitively expensive and often unavailable at short notice. The SWURF Pod solves this with an on-demand, affordable solution that can be accessed within minutes.
“We are now focussed on deploying 100 pods across the UK in the next 12 months with key commercial partners in the pipeline. We’re also looking to raise further investment early in 2026 to support global growth.”
SWURF was founded in 2020 during the pandemic by Gibson to connect remote and hybrid professionals (the company calls them ‘Swurfers’) with underutilised hospitality venues like cafés, hotels, and co-working hubs across the UK.
It operates a growing network of over 450 activated venues and more than 12,000 users, generating significant revenue for its hospitality partners, including Hilton, IHG, Kew Green Hotels — approximately £1.85 million in total.
SWURF has recently secured six-figure follow-on investment backed by private investors, the Scottish Government’s £42 million Techscaler programme, and Scottish Enterprise. The investment round was also supported by Gareth Williams, co-founder of Skyscanner, who has been a long-term investor. This funding is aimed at accelerating SWURF’s expansion across the UK, selected European markets, and preparing for further global growth