Printed, modular and modeled
3D printing and factory-built modules, planned in Building Information Modeling (BIM), shorten schedules and cut wasted material.
Common Frame →04 · Idea Lab
Bring usthe idea.
Submit an idea, a startup or a project for advice, consulting or investment. You'll get an instant score with recommendations, and we read every submission.
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Submit an idea
About five minutes. Honest answers get the most useful score.
Latest ideas
What we're studying now and building into our projects. Have a take on one of these? Submit it above.
01
Building faster and smarter
How we plan to design and build.
Digital twins
A virtual 3D copy of each property lets us test layouts and design changes before any ground is broken.
All projectsTours before it's built
Virtual reality and real-time rendering let partners, towns and future residents walk through a building that doesn't exist yet.
All projects02
Smarter investing
How we find, fund and improve property.
Predictive local data
Alternative data, such as search and social trends, can signal where rents and values are heading block by block.
Project Counterpoint →Fractional ownership
Tokenization could lower the cost of owning a share of a property and speed up closings. We're watching the rules closely.
ExploringRetrofit first
Energy upgrades and long-term capital planning for buildings that already exist, often before building new.
Project Counterpoint →03
Homes people can afford
What makes attainable and workforce housing work for residents.
Smart homes, lower bills
Smart thermostats, lighting and appliances cut energy use and make homes easier to run.
Common Frame →Efficient by design
Better insulation, efficient windows, solar and recycled or sustainable materials lower long-term costs and stand up to harsher weather.
Common Frame →Modular at scale
Factory-built units go up quickly, cost less to build and can grow as demand does.
Common Frame →Built for community
Shared gardens, workspaces and recreation areas that help neighbors get to know each other.
Common Frame →04
Housing for ski towns
Creative ways to house the people who keep mountain towns running.
Container pods
Multi-bed modules made from recycled shipping containers, suited to steep or awkward lots and hard winters.
Project Treeline →Conversions
Turning aging motels, offices and former care facilities into modern staff housing without new sprawl.
Project Treeline →Winter-leasing networks
Towns and owners turning short-term rentals into guaranteed season-long leases for resort staff.
Project Treeline →Employer and resort capital
Resorts and large employers funding apartments or master-leasing buildings for their teams.
Project Treeline →Village-center housing
Some Alpine towns cap second homes and build community-owned housing right in the village core.
Project Treeline →Investment opportunities
A look at what's taking shape. Details are shared only with accredited investors, privately.
Pre-development
Common Frame
First attainable and workforce homes in Vermont and Florida, built with modular and 3D-printed methods.
Site search
Project Treeline
A first mountain-town project pairing lodging with homes for the people who work there.
Sourcing
Project Counterpoint
A first residential or mixed-use acquisition in a growing mid-size city.
These summaries are not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security. Any offering would be made only through definitive offering documents, to accredited investors, and where permitted by law. Stages and plans may change.
How scoring works
Five areas, 20 points each, from your answers. The score points you to the most useful next step.
Problem & customer · 20
How much evidence there is that people have the problem and will pay to solve it, from an idea to paying customers.
Market & timing · 20
How far the idea can grow, from a local niche to a fast-growing national market.
Stage & traction · 20
How far along you are, from an idea to revenue growing every month.
Team · 20
Who is committed and what they've done before.
Fit with Dan Ventures · 20
How closely the idea matches our focus on real estate, housing, building technology, hospitality and mountain towns, where it is, and whether what you're asking for matches your stage.
What the scores mean
75 and up: strong fit, and we'll be in touch. 55 to 74: promising, worth a conversation. 35 to 54: early, work through the next steps. Under 35: not yet, but the steps will show you where to start. Investment conversations are reserved for projects with revenue and a strong fit.
The Idea Lab score is automated guidance based only on your answers. It is not investment, legal, tax or financial advice, and not an offer, commitment or promise of funding or services. Any consulting or investment would be agreed in writing.