Google to shut Campus startup hub amid shift to work from home: Here’s what you need to know

Google parent Alphabet Inc. plans to close its seven-story hub devoted to helping startups in London’s Shoreditch district and replace it with virtual services following the shift to home-working.

The move comes after the pandemic showed the technology giant that it could serve young firms across the country without the need for a physical space, according to a statement Monday. Google was forced to offer its support programs and services online when the coronavirus struck.

“The UK startup community doesn’t need access to a single-shared physical space as much as it needs access to resources, mentors, and programs available at scale, anywhere,” Google said in the statement. “And so as the ecosystem develops, so does our approach to supporting” them.