Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that provides funding and mentorship to early-stage companies. It offers a program where startups receive guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and investors. The organization helps founders in their business models and develop their products. Y Combinator serves industries such as technology, healthcare, and finance.

Y Combinator

Goodwater empowers exceptional entrepreneurs everywhere to change the world for the better. They believe consumer technology is a force on earth, shaping culture and transforming the global economy at unprecedented speed and scale. They invest in promising entrepreneurs to solve pressing problems. As a combined force, Goodwater companies are a global force for change, poised to measurably improve billions of lives.

Goodwater Capital

BBQ Capital is an early-stage venture capital company.

BBQ Capital

Asymmetry Ventures invests in scalable early-stage companies with exceptional defensibility.

Asymmetry Ventures

HomeRoom

HomeRoom is a Y Combinator-backed residential real estate marketplace that simplifies remote investing and streamlines affordable renting. Our marketplace connects rental property investors seeking a turnkey experience, with renters seeking quality and affordable coliving housing.  Coliving, also referred to as shared housing or roommate living, is a community-driven residential living model that accommodates 3+ unrelated people.    Our platform currently has 140 coliving homes in 25 cities across six major metros, owned by 85 investors. We’ve housed more than 1,000 roommates in HomeRooms, and we expect this number to reach 25,000 by 2024.

HomeRoom is a real estate investing platform that connects rental property investors with renters seeking affordable housing. The company's innovative approach involves renting out individual rooms in a single-family home separately, enabling investors to generate higher rental yields of up to 50% more than traditional rental models. HomeRoom streamlines the process for out-of-state investors by identifying suitable properties, setting them up according to their specifications, and managing the rental process through its marketplace platform.

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Alternative Living

HomeRoom is a real estate investing platform that connects rental property investors with renters seeking affordable housing. The company's innovative approach involves renting out individual rooms in a single-family home separately, enabling investors to generate higher rental yields of up to 50% more than traditional rental models. HomeRoom streamlines the process for out-of-state investors by identifying suitable properties, setting them up according to their specifications, and managing the rental process through its marketplace platform.
HomeRoom's technology leverages advanced analytics to source properties that meet specific criteria, ensuring optimal returns for investors. The company's target properties typically have more bedrooms than average, allowing for higher density living arrangements. HomeRoom then lists these properties on its platform, where prospective tenants can explore 3D virtual tours, view roommate profiles, and seamlessly apply for available rooms.
The company's business model revolves around facilitating this match between investors seeking a turnkey, high-yield experience and renters seeking modern yet affordable housing options. By splitting the rental income from a single property across multiple tenants, HomeRoom enables investors to realize significantly higher returns compared to traditional single-family rentals. Additionally, renters benefit from paying substantially lower rents, typically 50-60% less than studio apartment rates in the same neighborhood.

Outsite is a global network of co-living spaces designed for digital nomads, remote workers, and location-independent professionals. Founded in 2015, Outsite offers fully-furnished private accommodations, such as apartments, studios, and private rooms, with reliable high-speed internet, workspaces, and amenities tailored for remote work and productivity.
As of 2024, Outsite operates 49 co-living spaces across the US, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. These locations range from urban centers to coastal retreats and alpine getaways, providing a diverse array of destinations for digital nomads to explore while maintaining their work routine.
Outsite's co-living spaces are equipped with dedicated workspaces, including desks, common areas, and, in some locations, coworking cafes. Accommodations typically feature private bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, fully-equipped kitchens, outdoor spaces, and other amenities like pools, hot tubs, and laundry facilities.
To ensure a seamless experience, each Outsite location has a dedicated Community Manager who assists with check-in, organizes events, and provides support to guests. The company also partners with organizations like One Tree Planted to promote sustainability, planting a tree for every booking made.
Outsite operates on a membership model, offering annual and lifetime plans that provide access to exclusive deals, perks, and the ability to book stays across their global network. Members can earn credits and rewards for longer stays, fostering a sense of community among digital nomads who frequently move between Outsite locations.

Outsite

The Collective is a pioneering co-living company that offers a new way of urban living for renters, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, in London. It operates large-scale co-living buildings that provide private en-suite or studio apartments along with access to shared amenities like gyms, cinemas, spas, co-working spaces, and community events. The company's primary focus is on offering convenience, community, and an enhanced living experience through fully-furnished units, utilities included, housekeeping services, and a vibrant events program.
The Collective's flagship properties include the 550-room The Collective Old Oak in West London and the 705-room world's largest co-living building in Canary Wharf. The company's business model is centered around providing value for money by allowing tenants to trade private space for more communal areas, resulting in lower rents compared to traditional apartments. This approach aims to address the growing demand for affordable housing among young professionals in major cities.
In response to the pandemic, The Collective adapted its events program to a hybrid format, offering both in-person and virtual options. It also partnered with experts to introduce wellness initiatives and practices to support members' mental and physical health during lockdowns. While The Collective faced challenges during the pandemic, leading to its collapse in late 2021, its two live sites in London remained operational after reaching an agreement with stakeholders, indicating confidence in the co-living model's fundamentals.
The Collective's acquisition by Red Door Ventures fell through in mid-2018, but lenders Deutsche Bank and Catalina RE provided substantial debt for the Old Oak development, valuing it higher than the initial asking price, implying a yield of around 4.00%. This demonstrated the investment community's confidence in the collective living concept.

The Collective

PodShare is a co-living community that offers an innovative housing solution catering to millennials, digital nomads, and individuals seeking flexibility, affordability, and a sense of community. The company operates on the principle of "access, not ownership," providing members with access to fully furnished private sleeping pods and shared amenities across multiple locations.
PodShare's housing network spans various neighborhoods in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with plans to expand further. The core concept revolves around custom-built 50 sq ft sleeping pods that are part of larger shared living spaces. This co-living arrangement not only promotes cost-effectiveness but also fosters social interaction and a sense of community among members, which the company refers to as "maximum collisions."
The PodShare model offers an all-inclusive living experience, encompassing furnished accommodations, utilities, toiletries, daily cleaning services, and additional perks like access to food, events, gyms, software, and entertainment subscriptions. The flexible payment options and no-deposit policy contribute to a hassle-free living experience for members.
PodShare's disruptive approach addresses the challenges of unaffordable and inflexible housing in urban areas. By offering a location-independent housing network, members can seamlessly transfer their accommodations without the need to pay for multiple residences simultaneously.
Founded in 2012 by Elvina Beck, a Russian-born entrepreneur, PodShare has grown from its first location in Hollywood to multiple sites across Los Angeles. In 2019, the company expanded to San Francisco, marking its first location outside of Los Angeles. Beck's vision aligns with the evolving societal preferences, particularly among millennials and freelancers who value flexibility, affordability, and community over traditional living arrangements.

Podshare

Colonies is a pioneering French startup offering urban co-living solutions. It operates a unique co-living model that combines affordability, community, and convenience, particularly appealing to young professionals and students seeking more than just accommodation in cities. Each Colonies co-living space features fully furnished private bedrooms or studios alongside common areas designed to foster a sense of community.
The company's approach involves sourcing and refurbishing properties, furnishing them to create a blend of private and communal spaces. As of May 2022, Colonies had around 1,100 tenants across 180 sites in Paris, Toulouse, Marseille, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lille, Berlin, and Brussels. Properties range from houses to apartment buildings, with larger developments like a 330-unit residence planned for delivery in Orsay in 2022.
Colonies aims to provide flexible, community-focused living environments with an average monthly rent of EUR 590 as of 2022, inclusive of utilities, insurance, internet, and weekly cleaning services for shared areas. The startup raised EUR 221 million in funding over four rounds by December 2023, with a EUR 30 million round led by Crédit Mutuel Impact in December 2023 to support expansion plans.
While initially targeting young professionals, Colonies has broadened its offerings to cater to students, who comprised 35% of its tenant base by 2022. The company envisions extending its co-living concept to families, offering amenities like childcare facilities and spaces for parents to socialize.

Colonies

Zoku is a pioneering home-office hybrid hotel concept designed for global nomads and traveling professionals. Launched in 2016, it redefines the traditional hotel experience by providing flexible living and working spaces under one roof. The brand's core offering is the Zoku Loft, a revolutionary room design that shifts the focus from the bed to the living area, featuring a multifunctional space with a kitchen, work desk, and loft-style sleeping area accessible via a retractable staircase.
Zoku's lofts are equipped with modern amenities, including fully-equipped kitchens, ample storage, office supplies, and stylish furnishings from Danish design brand Muuto. The concept prioritizes intelligent use of space, facilitating seamless transitions between living, working, and socializing. Beyond the lofts, Zoku offers diverse social areas, coworking spaces, rooftop gardens, fitness studios, and event venues to foster a sense of community and connection among residents and locals.
Since its inception in Amsterdam, Zoku has expanded to Copenhagen and Vienna, with plans to establish a presence in other European innovation hubs like London, Barcelona, Berlin, and Paris. The brand has garnered recognition for its innovative approach, winning accolades such as the 2015 Radical Innovation Award and "Best Innovation & Disruption" from the Serviced Apartment Awards.

Zoku

Companies that provide communal-living (co-living) spaces with separate or shared living spaces.

Companies that function on an owner-operator model or as a third party platform to provide fully furnished apartments/ houses for rent as a "ready-to-live" service for customers either on a month-to-month basis, or shorter/ longer stays as decided by the customer.

Companies that construct tiny or micro homes, often with reduced building/ assembly times with added eco-friendly elements.

Companies that construct mobile tiny or micro homes which can be attached to a vehicle to be transported.

Companies that develop housing that is designed to withstand and mitigate the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tornadoes using resilient building materials or special features.

Companies that develop solutions which support alternative living styles with solutions such as multipurpose and manoeuvrable furniture, modular sleeping pods, smart motorized storage solutions etc.

Living solutions that have a lower negative environmental impact compared with traditional homes

HomeRoom

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