Verci: A Hub for Consumer Startups in the Heart of NYC
Verci, a members-only coworking space and social club, has rapidly emerged as a central location for consumer-focused startups in New York City. This Flatiron District location provides a unique blend of workspace and social environment, fostering collaboration and innovation within a burgeoning sector.
On a typical Friday afternoon, the space buzzes with activity. Startup founders are engrossed in their work, creators are networking, and the cityscape outside – including views of the Empire State Building – provides a vibrant backdrop. The social club, which describes itself as a “second home for the creative and curious in New York,” is a hub for more than a dozen companies that are building AI and social applications.
Verci’s founders, Ami Yoshimura (23) and Anant Vasudevan (25), recognized the need for community and in-person connection, which led to the formation of the space in 2022. They wanted to create a space with the atmosphere of a college campus for what Yoshimura calls, “people who are a bit more unconventional.”
After hosting several pop-up spaces, Verci signed its first lease in 2023 and recently moved into a two-floor space under a four-year lease. The building itself has a history as a social club, notably housing The Wing, the now-defunct coworking and social club for women. Remnants of the space, like branded plates and the “W” logo, can still be found throughout Verci.
The top floor of Verci is dedicated to social activities, featuring a fully equipped kitchen, a disco ball, and a space that transforms into a tea room on Tuesdays and a presentation spot on Friday evenings. The Satellite level, one floor below, serves as the coworking space for startups like 222 (an IRL-social company), Housewarming (formerly Verse), and Debbie (fintech). Zibo Gao, cofounder of music app Soundmap, shares that the space is a “good cure for winter depression,” and he often visits four to five days a week.
With a little under 300 members, Verci accepts 25 to 50 new members in each cohort. Memberships start at $1,200 per year to access community events, with more involved options which include 24/7 access to the Flatiron space, and the Satellite tier begins at $600 per month for desk space and startup resources.
A Collaborative and Competitive Environment
Walking through the space, one encounters founders of several startups, including Zehra Naqvi, an angel investor and founder of AI social search startup Lore. She emphasizes the collaborative energy at Verci, saying, “Whenever I come here, I first check to see which of the other consumer founders I know that are in.” This collaborative spirit extends to an environment where questions are readily answered, and resources are easily shared.
The close-knit atmosphere mirrors the environment found in startup accelerators. In total, there are 19 consumer startups working out of Verci, with 14 having raised venture capital. Some startups leverage the space for talent recruitment and partnership opportunities. The community at Verci extends to the content creation world, as well.
While collaboration is central, there’s also an element of healthy competition. Michelle Yin, CTO of Housewarming, observes that the space provides inspiration and motivation as everyone is “in the same situation.”
New York City: The Epicenter of Consumer Tech
Verci is part of a broader consumer tech hub in New York City. According to Yin, “It seems like everyone doing consumer social is in New York, and everyone knows each other.” This environment has fostered a “renaissance” in this sector, according to Derek Chu, a partner at FirstMark. Founders such as Jack Winston of BePresent highlight the advantage of being connected to the dense creative network in New York.
Verci’s social club serves as a microcosm of the overall thriving consumer tech ecosystem that is flourishing throughout New York City. It is a workspace, a social network, and a hub for innovation, all in one.
