The Co-Own Company presents a hybrid real estate development and fintech model centered on urban co-living. The deck highlights a solution based on shared equity, net-zero energy design, and a proprietary exchange for trading cooperative shares. While the team possesses significant real estate and architectural experience, the deck leans heavily on aggressive pro forma projections, forecasting a jump from $37.44M in year-one revenue to $187.20M by year five. The financial ask is substantial, totaling $10,317,560, with the vast majority ($7.07M) allocated to land acquisition. The presentation…
Key takeaways
- The company projects a year-one net profit of $5.87M, scaling to $29.33M by 2025 (Slide 5).
- The business model relies on geographic expansion, starting in Denver and adding Miami, Palo Alto, Boston, and Ann Arbor by year five (Slide 5).
- The total capital requirement is $10,317,560, with 68.5% of the funds dedicated to land acquisition (Slide 9).
- The product consists of 2,700 sf townhome units containing 4 bed/bath suites each (Slide 3).
- The 'system' promises a proprietary exchange where cooperative shares can be bought and sold at market rates at any time (Slide 6).
- The leadership team includes a Principal who has built over 1,000 houses and apartments (Slide 7).
- The deck emphasizes a 'no subsidies' approach, aiming for market-rate housing that remains accessible through shared equity (Slide 6).
- Architectural advisors bring a combined 50+ years of experience in urban design and 'missing middle' housing (Slide 8).
Executive Summary: The Urban Co-Living Vision
The Co-Own Company deck presents a solution to urban housing affordability through a blend of sustainable architecture and a cooperative equity model. The deck is structured as a traditional real estate development pitch but attempts to layer on a 'tech' element via a proprietary share exchange. With a heavy focus on Denver as a launch market, the deck seeks over $10 million to secure land and initiate a multi-city rollout.
Slide 1: Title Slide
The deck opens with a minimalist title slide featuring the company logo and the tagline 'Urban Co-Living: The Future of Home Ownership.' The branding uses a terracotta and teal color palette, signaling a focus on modern, earth-friendly development. There is no mention of the specific round (e.g., Seed or Series A) on the cover.
Slide 2: Our Solution
This slide introduces the three pillars of the business: shared equity co-ownership, net-zero energy design, and 'hassle-free' onboarding. It includes three architectural renders showing a modern interior with exposed beams, a brick-facade multi-unit exterior, and a minimalist bedroom. The visuals establish the 'high-tech' and 'urban' aesthetic mentioned in the text.
Slide 3: Our Product - The Townhome
Slide 3 provides specific product dimensions. The flagship offering is a 'Townhome Plan' consisting of 2,700 square foot units. Each unit is designed with four bed/bath suites. This layout is clearly optimized for co-living, where individuals or couples might own a suite while sharing common areas. The slide uses a 3D isometric architectural model to show the building's density.
Slide 4: Our Product - Ownership Mechanics
This slide clarifies the legal and financial structure of the product. It states that homes are sold as 'co-op ownership shares.' Crucially, it claims these shares can be re-sold at market rates 'at any time the owner wants.' Below the text is a hand-sketched floor plan for a 'Single Family House Plan – Ground Floor,' showing two distinct living/dining areas and four bedroom suites, reinforcing the shared-living layout.
Slide 5: Business Model and Pro Forma
The business model is presented as a five-year financial table. The projections are highly linear: revenue starts at $37.44M in 2021 and increases by exactly $37.44M every year through 2025, ending at $187.20M. Expenses and net profit follow the same perfectly linear growth pattern. The slide also maps out a geographic expansion: starting in Denver (2021), adding Miami (2022), Palo Alto (2023), Boston (2024), and Ann Arbor (2025). The slide concludes with a callout of the $5.87M projected net profit for Year 1.
Slide 6: Our System
This slide breaks down the operational advantages into three categories. First, 'New Build, Urban Infill Sites' highlights proximity to transit and amenities. Second, 'No Subsidies, No Strings Attached' emphasizes that this is a market-rate play, not a government-dependent affordable housing project. Third, 'Cooperative Shares' introduces the concept of an 'exchange' where shares are traded. This is the most significant 'tech' claim in the deck, though no details are provided on how the exchange is regulated or how liquidity is guaranteed.
Slide 7: Who We Are - Leadership
The team slide features three core members. Jason Lewiston (Principal) is positioned as the industry veteran with 30 years of experience and 1,000 units built. Dmitrii Zavorotny (Technology Officer) brings 10 years of data science and machine learning experience. Sarah Wells (Director of Sales) provides the 'co-op' expertise, citing her role as Board President for the Boulder Housing Coalition. This is a balanced team covering development, tech, and community management.
Slide 8: Who We Are - Advisors
The advisor slide adds significant weight to the architectural and planning side of the business. Gosia Kung is highlighted for her 25 years of experience in 'missing middle' housing. Jeff Dawkins and Bruce Roberts are listed as Detroit-based architects with expertise in infill projects. The inclusion of these advisors suggests the company is well-connected in the urban planning space.
Slide 9: Use of Proceeds
The final slide in this set provides a detailed breakdown of a $10,317,560 capital requirement. The line items are:
Pre-Development: $820,000 · Fees: $773,000 · Marketing and Sales: $374,400 · Land: $7,070,000 · Permits: $100,000 · Building: $80,000 · Financing: $1,100,160
The $7.07M for land indicates that this is a capital-intensive real estate play. The $80,000 for 'Building' is unusually low for a development project of this scale, suggesting it may represent a specific deposit or a placeholder for a single prototype unit rather than the construction costs for the $37M in projected revenue.
What The Co-Own Company Does Well
The deck excels at defining a specific niche: the 'missing middle' of urban housing. By combining co-living (which increases density and affordability) with co-ownership (which allows for equity building), they address two major pain points in the current real estate market. The architectural renders and floor plans (Slides 2, 3, and 4) make the product feel tangible and well-thought-out from a design perspective. Furthermore, the team slide (Slide 7) builds strong credibility by highlighting a founder who has actually delivered 1,000+ units, which is a critical metric for any real estate-adjacent startup.
What Is Missing From The Deck
The most glaring omission is the lack of detail regarding the 'Exchange' mentioned on Slide 6. For a company promising that shares can be sold 'at any time,' the mechanics of that liquidity are vital. Is there a secondary market? Does the company act as a market maker? Without explaining the fintech side of the business, it remains a standard real estate development play with a complicated legal structure. Additionally, the 'Use of Proceeds' (Slide 9) shows only $80,000 for 'Building,' yet the 'Business Model' (Slide 5) projects $37M in revenue in Year 1. There is a massive disconnect between the capital being raised and the construction costs required to generate that level of revenue. The deck also lacks a 'Problem' slide, jumping straight into the solution, which misses an opportunity to ground the investor in the specific macro-economic trends they are exploiting.
What A Founder Should Copy
Founders should emulate the way The Co-Own Company uses architectural visuals to make a concept feel 'real.' Instead of just talking about 'density,' they show a 3D model of a 4-suite townhome. The use of a 'Key Advisors' slide (Slide 8) to bolster specific technical gaps (in this case, urban planning and architecture) is also a smart move for early-stage companies. Finally, the clear geographic roadmap on Slide 5, while perhaps overly optimistic in its linearity, gives investors a clear sense of the company's expansion strategy and target markets.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the core product of The Co-Own Company?
- The product is new-build, co-owned housing units located in urban and university neighborhoods. Specifically, Slide 3 details a townhome plan featuring 2,700 square foot units, each containing four individual bedroom and bathroom suites. These are designed as net-zero energy buildings located near transit and urban amenities.
- How does the co-ownership model work according to the deck?
- The model uses 'cooperative shares.' Instead of owning a traditional deed to a whole property, residents own shares in the co-op. Slide 4 and Slide 6 state that these shares can be re-sold at market rates at any time through the company's own exchange, providing liquidity that is typically absent in traditional real estate.
- What are the financial projections for the company?
- The company provides a five-year pro forma starting in 2021. They project Year 1 revenue of $37.44M with a net profit of $5.87M. By Year 5, they forecast revenue growing to $187.20M and net profit reaching $29.33M, driven by expansion into five total city markets.
- How much money is the company raising and for what?
- The 'Use of Proceeds' slide (Slide 9) lists a total requirement of $10,317,560. The largest expense is Land at $7,070,000. Other significant costs include Financing ($1.1M), Pre-Development ($820k), and Fees ($773k). Notably, 'Building' is listed at only $80,000, which suggests this budget may cover initial construction starts or specific modular components rather than total build costs for the projected revenue.
- Who is leading the company?
- The team is led by Principal Jason Lewiston, a 30-year real estate veteran. He is supported by Dmitrii Zavorotny (Technology Officer) and Sarah Wells (Director of Sales), who has a background in cooperative housing leadership. The deck also lists three key advisors with extensive architectural and urban planning experience.
