Trust
People need real listings, clear deposits, clean rooms and someone accountable when things break.
COMPANY FUNDING + SEPARATE HOME SETUP FUNDING
Trusted homes for peoplemoving across Southeast Asia.
KITA gives founders, operators and mobile teams a reliable furnished home, clear support and a familiar community when they move city to city.
Category proofHabyt, lyf, Cove and Figment already educate the market.
Launch logicKL proves the model before Singapore-level cost and rules.
Investor useUSD 1.5M funds proof, not buildings.
First city plan
KL first building
50 homesthen Singapore and Jakarta if the playbook worksCompany fundingUSD 1.5M
Home setup fundingUSD 3.5M
First proof cityKuala Lumpur
Initial flagship50 homes
Thesis
Renting should feel reliable, even in a new city.
Moving
Many regional workers do not need a hotel or a full-year lease. They need a good home for a few months.
Funding
One pool of money builds the company. A separate pool pays for furniture, deposits and home setup.
Why this can win
Not a new category. A sharper way to enter it.
The market is crowded, which proves demand. The opening is discipline.
Habyt merged with Hmlet, Ascott is scaling lyf, and Cove, Figment and other operators already serve parts of the market. KITA is not claiming the category is empty. The wedge is a cleaner funding model, a narrower customer, and a KL-first proof plan.
Habyt + Hmlet mergerKL is the test market. Singapore is the premium market.
Singapore has the richest renter profile but the tightest rules and higher setup costs. KL gives KITA a cheaper place to prove demand, service quality and owner economics before entering stricter cities.
JLL KL Q1 2025The founder job is demand, launch and regional trust.
Ian has built growth in hard markets: OYO Malaysia growth, Tiki from early launch to a 100M-user community, oBike APAC strategy, and BIGO growth across SEA, South Asia and MENA. The missing piece is an experienced housing operator, which is why that hire is part of the raise.
Founder proofCompetition
The question is not whether others exist. It is where KITA starts differently.
PlayerWhat they proveInvestor concernKITA answer
Large flexible-living player with APAC presence.
VC will ask why KITA is not just a smaller Habyt.
Start narrower: KL, work movers, separate home setup money.
Hospitality-backed coliving brand with global ambition.
Strong brand, locations and operating depth.
KITA avoids hotel-like cost structure and starts with longer stays.
Consumer-facing rooms, apartments and curated living.
They already educate renters and landlords.
KITA leads with company relocation and regional work moves.
Cheaper, fragmented supply across every city.
Low price anchor and huge inventory.
KITA sells reliability: real listings, support and clear deposits.
First customer
Start with people who move cities for work.
Founders fundraising in another country. Regional managers relocating. Engineers, designers and remote teams staying in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Jakarta for a few months.
Age26-38
IncomeUSD 60-150k
Typical stay4-8 months
Pays more fortrust
Demand proof needed
The round should fund proof, not a victory lap.
The first milestone is not three cities. It is enough KL evidence that customers want this, owners will supply homes, and the model survives real operating friction.
Waitlist of people moving to KL, Singapore or Jakarta for work.
At least one regional employer or relocation team willing to place staff.
One KL building owner ready to supply the first 50 homes.
A housing operator who can own building operations, owner deals and rules.
Funding plan
Do not use investor money to buy buildings.
Company money
- Build the KITA brand
- Build the booking and member system
- Hire the first city team
- Find customers and company partners
Home setup money
- Furniture and room setup
- Deposits and reserves
- Permits and opening costs
- Building-level working capital
Keep these separate so KITA stays a scalable company, not a property buying spree.
Deck inside
Explore the investor deck without leaving the site.
The flexible living network for Southeast Asia.
KITA gives people who move between SEA cities a reliable place to stay, starting in Kuala Lumpur.
Financial plan
USD 1.5M proves one city first.
Team and city operationsUSD 650k43%
Product, data and pricingUSD 200k13%
Customer growth and brandUSD 150k10%
Working capital and launch bufferUSD 200k13%
Legal, compliance, taxUSD 150k10%
Safety bufferUSD 150k10%
Home setup funding
USD 3.5M to prepare the first 200 homes.
- USD 1.8M furniture and basic setup
- USD 0.8M deposits and lease reserves
- USD 0.5M opening and readiness costs
- USD 0.4M safety buffer, with expansion slowed if costs run high
Known risks
The plan names the hard parts upfront.
City rules
Singapore private homes generally need stays of at least three months. KL and Jakarta still need building-by-building legal checks.
Setup budget
The USD 0.4M safety buffer is intentionally visible. If the first building needs more, expansion slows before company money is put at risk.
Demand proof
The 20-35% trust premium is a test target, not a proven number. The KL launch must show whether people actually pay for reliability.
City rollout
Prove Kuala Lumpur first, then repeat the playbook.
Kuala Lumpur
50 homes by year-endFirst building proof
KL scale + Singapore
300 homes by year-endSecond city only after KL works
Jakarta launch
900 homes by year-endThird city after the playbook is proven
The ask
Raising to prove KL, close the operator hire, and secure first supply.
KITA is raising USD 1.5M for the company and arranging USD 3.5M separately for home setup. The right investor can write a first check, introduce a housing operator, or open doors to regional employers and KL building owners.
What to do next
Book a 30-minute investor call to pressure-test KL launch economics, operator hiring, and the first 50-home supply plan.
Contact Ian