Senator Bob Worsley Reimagines Living Spaces With Robotic Furniture
Describe your company in 8 words.
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My company in 8 words: Reimagining housing... tomorrow's home today!
What is a key differentiator in how you run your business vs others in the industry?
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The building business has not changed dramatically over the course of the last 100 years – like almost all other sectors. Factory building vs. in situ or on-site construction has failed with the $3B flop of Katerra and Softbank being the most recent example. ZenniHome believes that robotic and transforming interior features of homes will allow for smaller, yet repeatable floor plans, which will finally pave the way for standard home models – much in the same way vehicles are made in factories with assembly lines.
We started with a Denizen (320 sq ft) and Citizen (640 sq ft) with two 20' cargo container form factors and two 40' container form factors. We build them from one trip High Cube Containers with a C Channel solar PV roof, a custom-built ISO certified steel home with the same dimensions, or cSIP panel construction like the military uses with a steel post and structural frame. The homes look identical upon finishing them.
They can be built in China or in the US as conditions permit. See ZenniHome.com for the high-end luxury example of each model and how they can stack for multifamily uses. We will save 30% of construction costs and 50% of schedule for our projects
What are you seeing in your industry or market right now?
The Real Estate market in the US is broken right now. Prices for stick-framed homes are skyrocketing with 300-400% lumber increases at the end of COVID. COVID caused the great home reshuffle... with home transactions skyrocketing. Housing prices in the Intermountain area increased over 25% This was the largest inflationary increase in history. With the newfound 6.8mm home shortage in the country, first-time home buyers will have to rent for longer to afford their first home purchase. The industry is broken and factory built homes that can stack is the answer.
Who is your focus target customer?
Our target customers are first time home buyers, empty nesters, kids caring for aging parents who want to stay in independent living conditions (maybe in the backyard) and multifamily developers who are sick and tired of trying to site build in these conditions serve as our ideal customers. Entrepreneurial developers who want to build a 4 plex or 8 plex-sized rental portfolio are also ideal. The missing middle in the multifamily space is our target... from single family homes up to 100 units.
What makes you different from the other X in your industry?
We currently have a patent pending for our 2 initial products. Zero Energy grid connected or not, gray water and black water processing, VIP insulation in the walls for hyper insulation, steel framed to stack 6-7 stories high, much like most of Paris was built 100 years ago. Additionally we have finally achieved factory synergy with very little difference in the manufacturing of stacked units from single family, single story units, which gives factories the ability to set up for assembly line productivity.
To what do you attribute your business success as a company?
I think I owe my success to my prior experience. I have started 15 successful businesses in the past 35 years. Most notably, I founded SkyMall, the flight shopping company, when I was 35. I currently own a very large portfolio of real estate, mineral rights, and energy projects including wind, solar, and biomass assets. Starting a business is an art form and a skill that takes time to learn. At 65 years old, I am happy to launch the most important business venture of my life... ZenniHome. It will help to solve one of the most important issues facing humanity... building affordable homes for each individual and family on earth.
What is your vision for the future of your industry?
I see the future of the industry as factory-building fewer models of affordable housing made from steel to allow for stacking. Interiors will be left as a blank canvas, which robotic furniture manufacturers will step in to create products concurrent with living needs. Our modules will be ISO-certified to ship with shipping containers anywhere in the world. Each home can be energy independent from the grid. The latest technology will be built into each home. ZenniHome will, quite literally, deliver tomorrow's home today.
