Black Seed: Creating a workspace that evolves with the team
Client showcase
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Adaptable Workspaces
UK
Black Seed is Europe’s first VC firm exclusively dedicated to supporting Black founders. Based in Brixton Village, London, they exist to address the chronic underfunding of Black-led startups, providing capital, strategic support and a vibrant community network. Their mission: to drive systemic change across industries and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Reduced climate impact
71.9%
Office location
UK
Office size
187 m²
Design style
Nordic Light
NORNORM's circular model allows us to grow and adapt without waste or significant upfront costs, aligning our workspace with our values and helping us focus on what matters most: empowering Black founders.
The goal
When Black Seed took on their newly renovated 24,000 sq. ft. office in Brixton Village, they had a blank canvas - and a big vision. They wanted a space that could inspire their team and reflect their mission, but also one that wouldn’t tie them down. Hiring an interior designer, sourcing individual pieces, and making large capital purchases all felt at odds with their need for flexibility and cost-efficiency. They needed a smarter way to bring the space to life.
NORNORM's solution
With NORNORM’s circular furniture subscription, Black Seed could furnish their space without upfront investments or permanent commitments. More importantly, it gave them the freedom to figure out what worked - and what didn’t - after moving in. As the team settled in, they refined the setup. Layouts were tweaked, colours and materials were adjusted to better reflect their brand, and previously unused areas were repurposed to support day-to-day operations. NORNORM’s flexible service meant these adjustments were easy and waste-free, with furniture swapped or scaled as needed.
The outcome
Today, Black Seed has a workspace that frees them to focus on what matters. As a rapidly growing venture, their team size and space requirements continue to shift. Thanks to NORNORM’s flexibility, their workspace can evolve just as easily, without major reinvestments or creating waste. At the same time, the subscription model has enabled Black Seed to direct resources toward their core mission. Avoiding large, irreversible investments has freed them to focus on what really matters: supporting Black founders and building a more inclusive venture capital ecosystem.
Yvonne Nagawa, COO at Black Seed VC
As a rapidly growing venture, our team size and space requirements can shift quickly. NORNORM’s flexibility to scale furniture needs up or down has allowed us to adapt our office environment without making large, irreversible investments.
NORNORM has been a transformative partner in setting up our new office, offering the perfect blend of style, flexibility, and sustainability.
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