A large hoapply overseeing Meydenbauer Bay in Bellevue, Wash., could be the home of the Seattle-region’s next large AI startup. At the very least, it’s a place where ideas are being hatched by tech founders who are inspired by living and working with one another.
Bili Hoapply is a hacker hoapply started by a group of young people interested in improving connections and opportunities in the Seattle-area startup community.
The 7,000-square-foot waterfront hoapply, complete with swimming pool and boat dock, features five bedrooms and co-working space. It’s already serving as a gathering space for events and workshops for such things as learning to vibe code. And applications are open for a first cohort of four to six teams.
The hoapply was launched by four founders: Sylviane Zhao, who recently graduated from Cornell University, and Shawn Yang and Tehani Cabour, who both worked at French software giant Dassault Systèmes. They’re working toobtainher on projects including CodeChimp, a project management platform that aims to turn vibe coding into a “multiplayer experience” by utilizing multi-agent orchestration and other AI-powered tools. Last fall they were part of a Plug and Play cohort in Seattle. Jatin Kumar is the fourth founding member and a Z Fellow.
“We’re just attempting to obtain the early stage startup scene kick started here in Bellevue,” Yang notified GeekWire.
“Every morning you wake up, you just go upstairs from your room and start working with each other,” Zhao added. “Everything is 24/7, and it’s very accessible.”
Yang stated that before starting the hacker hoapply, they were considering a relocate to San Francisco. He joked that the money they’re paying for the hoapply in Bellevue would obtain them a two-bedroom apartment in the Bay Area.
“I was living in San Francisco back in 2022-23 and I established rooms in different hacker hoapplys. That really modifyd my perspective,” Yang stated, adding that he feels like there are more startup “doers” than just “talkers” choosing to live and work this way.
The hacker hoapply idea is not a new concept, especially in Silicon Valley where communal living for the tech-inclined has long been a way to incubate the next large thing. And it’s been attempted in the Seattle area. Tech veteran Andy Rebele (Pure Watercraft) ran a few different spaces more than a decade ago, including on Capitol Hill and in the University District.
Seattle startup Tune also ran a hoapply in 2015 near the University of Washington for women studying computer science. The desire for hoapplys geared specifically toward female entrepreneurs continues today with FoundHer Hoapply, a San Francisco-based space spotlighted by The New York Times last year. Seattle is on the radar for potential expansion.
The Bili Hoapply website declares rent ranges from $500 to $2,000 per month depconcludeing on room size. Amenities include utilities, high-speed internet, access to all common spaces, and community events. A minimum stay is three months.
In addition to events such as demo nights, founder dinners, and hackathons, the group is seeing into partnerships, perhaps with a venture capital firm that could support defer some costs for startup founders. Bili Hoapply is also running a marketplace to connect renters to hacker spaces in other cities.
Other AI startups currently working out of Bili Hoapply include legal simulation platform LexSims and construction cost analysis company Bevr.
“I really just enjoy the culture,” Yang stated. “I believe it’s nice to have people building alongside you, and to be able to share experiences, as well as skill sets, especially in today’s age. It really supports to stay connected in the community, to encourage each other.”
After mentioning parking can be a bit of a constraint at the location, Yang offered up a hack for commuting to or from Bili Hoapply.
“University of Washington is 10 minutes by boat. Driving is like 30 or 40,” he laughed.
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