iDEAXiS, the company behind dedicated B2B app marketplaces such as Marketing App Exchange and App Mercado, is launching
The District House, a co-work and group living space for startups. The space is located in Alexandria, Va., and is currently accepting applications, according to iDEAXiS co-founder Rick Gilchrist.
"The District House came out of a need for us to have our own space for developers from other countries to come and live and work here," Gilchrist explains. "Co-working can help companies do more with less."
The District House has space for 18 people to live and up to 40 to work. Currently, Gilchrist, two interns and an iDEAXiS programmer from Belgium are sharing working and living space there. In January, members of Buzzoe, a startup that is pivoting from B2C to B2B, are planning to move in. "It's an accelerator, but a little more hands on," Gilchrist says. "We're providing [Buzzcoe] with a platform to tap into the U.S. market. Think of it like a bed and breakfast for startups." Or like The Real World for startups, minus all the cameras.
For $100 per month per person, startups have access to community space, a conference room and flexible working space. The cost for entrepreneurs to actually live in the house will be extra, and assessed on a case-by-case basis.
"We'll roll out dedicated desk space and locker space in November," says Gilchrist, "but we need to gauge interest and see what people want. We want to adjust to the needs of the people we serve." The District House will provide coffee and breakfast and is planning weekly mixers and events.
iDEAXiS will also maintain a "hotel room" in the District House—a short stay option for someone visiting who needs to stay a few nights and doesn't want to "shell out $200 a night at a hotel," he explains.
Gilchrist and Seda Atam, iDEAXiS's VP of customer development, will vet all applicants and ultimately decide who lives in the District House. "We're not necessarily evaluating on fundability," Gilchrist explains. "[We're looking at] whether [applicants] have a good idea and want to execute it.
"We have a vested interest in the success of the people in our house," he adds. "If we can help them get to market and get users, those users end up being our users too. We want them to be successful."