What's going on?

WeWork announced earlier in the week that it�s finally hitting the stock market on Thursday, and the coworking giant is hoping its critics give it a kinder reception this time around.

What does this mean?

2019 was a simpler time � a time when WeWork, rather than a pandemic, was stealing all the headlines. The company, after all, went from planning its initial public offering at an eye-watering $47 billion valuation to a spectacular flameout after investors got nervous that it might never turn a profit. But what a difference two years makes: WeWork�s dream is finally about to become reality, albeit this time via a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). In other words, it�s set to merge with a listed shell company that�ll fast-track its arrival onto the stock market. Nowhere near the same sort of money�s involved, mind you: the deal�s worth a relatively paltry $9 billion.

Why should I care?

The bigger picture: Is WeWork a good buy?
SoftBank has been trying to put investors� minds at ease ever since it bought a controlling stake in WeWork in 2019 � from bringing in a new CEO to cutting the company�s dizzying costs. And while lockdowns have hurt WeWork in the last 18 months, the Japanese conglomerate is confident that demand for flexible workspaces will thrive in a world where people crave a more hybrid lifestyle. Let�s hope so: WeWork has notched up losses of $3 billion in the first half of this year, and it�s behind on its revenue target too.

Zooming out: The robots have arrived.
WeWork isn�t the only SoftBank-backed company going public this week: warehouse automation company AutoStore listed on the stock market on Wednesday, and investors initially sent its shares up by 11% (tweet this). No surprises there: the Norwegian firm saw revenue surge 88% in the first six months of 2021 compared to the same time last year, as firms piled money into their booming ecommerce segments.