Co-Working Spaces Are Going Corporate

WeWork, the shared-office company valued at $15 billion, has cultivated a chic vibe to attract the freelancers and startup workers that helped launch the co-working movement. That means hip interior design (some offices have wallpaper created by the Beastie Boys' Mike D.) and free micro-roasted coffee and craft beer (the company gave out 90,000 glasses during a single month last year).

Now that youthful ambiance is helping attract the olds. General Electric moved 20 workers from its new energy business, Current, into a WeWork space near Boston's South Station this month as GE readies its new Boston headquarters. Other recent WeWork tenants include business consultancy KPMG, pharmaceutical giant Merck, and British news publication the Guardian—companies that have been around for an average of 155 years1455730071645.