Earlier this year, Daymond John, founder of FUBU and star judge on ABC’s Shark Tank, announced the grand opening of Blueprint + Co, a coworking space in midtown Manhattan.
The “People’s Shark” is diving into a crowded market, which includes popular coworking offices like Knotel and Wix Lounge. WeWork, which is valued at $20 billion, already operates 35 locations in Manhattan alone. But John is targeting a narrow segment of the coworking market. Blueprint + Co only welcomes companies that have raised $250,000 or have annual revenue of $250,000 or more.
John says a majority of his early tenants have at least $5 million in annual revenue, with some hovering around the billion-dollar valuation range. In addition to catering to late-stage startups, John adds Blueprint + Co has tapped into another market: established companies and executives from around the world in need of New York City office space. He says he’s also attracted corporations who want to lodge their innovation teams off-site, and away from their headquarters.