London-based start-up GigRove is aiming to bring start-ups and freelancers and freelancers over an exchange of services and accommodation.

Keeping costs down in the early days of a start-up is key. GigRove offers a solution. If you’re a start-up boss that needs help from a freelancer and can also offer a place for them to stay then you could exchange one for the other.

GigRove allows freelancers with plenty of different skills, from tech and design to simpler things like cooking or housework to exchange their services. Most of the skills are to do with tech or business growth, so things like design and marketing are popular because of the needs of start-ups.

For those looking to exchange their services, GigRove can be a useful experience for travelling freelancers or students who will need a place to stay and the opportunity to add to their CV.

GigRove has grown to over 20,000 users, 5,000 start-up hosts and 17,000 freelancers on the move. There are plans to verify some skills and to make sure that people are protected, so that the gigs are genuine.

They currently have guides for both travelling freelancers and start-up hosts on their website so that people are equipped with plenty of information and safety tips for getting the best out of the experience.

CEO and founder Marko Islamovich says that: “We are noticing a huge change on how work is done. It’s becoming more project-based, more and more people work remotely from their homes. Understanding that start-ups have a lot of problems with human capital, (mostly due to insufficient funding) we decided to combine resourceful (accommodation) and useful (skills) and help accelerate those start-up projects around the globe.”

The platform is currently free to use but is in the early stages of offering a premium account. The premium account would allow you to list more gigs and skills in your profile to increase your chances of getting selected.

“More than 70 million start-ups are opening globally each year on average for the past 30 years or so. There is a huge opportunity for us, as well for them to access this type of online talent service. So our focus is on reaching out to more start-ups through social media, events, blogs, etc. And of course, word of mouth. On the other side, I think that people dream of having a kind of like ‘Silicon Valley garage experience.’ It’s fun. It’s casual. It’s culturally spirited. Our strategy on growth is deeply based on providing that experience,” Islamovich added.

What do you think of this new platform? Let us know your thoughts or plans to use it in the comments below.