Starcity, a San Francisco-based coliving space that has helped make living affordable across the Bay Area and Los Angeles, has raised $30 million in a Series B funding round.
Raising this amount in the era of coronavirus and post-WeWork is both impressive and surprising as the shared industry has taken a hit in the past few weeks.
“We are set up as both a developer and operator with full-stack real estate development, design and management capabilities,” said Jon Dishotsky, co-founder CEO of Starcity.
Residents at Starcity are able to have their own private, fully-furnished bedroom and bathroom, while sharing living and kitchen facilities, making it a perfect space to avoid isolation that can happen in a big city. The company is able to offer residents a 20% to 30% discount on apartments and an app that connects residents to their neighbors.
“The spiraling cost of living in U.S. cities is one of the great challenges of our generation, exacerbating income inequality and political divides,” said Jared Friedman, a partner at Y Combinator, which took part in the funding round. “Starcity’s communities make expensive cities with great jobs accessible to more people, and we’re proud to support this important work.”
In the wake of the coronavirus, Starcity has had to make some sudden changes to its model to accommodate the needs of their tenants. Dishotsky said that the company has waived all termination fees and is working on a payment relief program.
