Blokable

About Blokable

Blokable operates as a vertically integrated real estate developer, aiming to address the housing affordability crisis by manufacturing modular housing units. Founded in 2016 by co-CEOs Aaron Holm and Nelson del Rio, along with co-founder Timothy Miller, the company is headquartered in Sacramento, California. Holm, a former Amazon product manager who worked on the Amazon Go and Amazon Books concepts, brings expertise in applying technology and supply chain logistics to new business models. Del Rio has a background in real estate development, finance, and pioneering public-private partnerships. Miller, the VP of Design, has a history in architecture and human-centric industrial design, including for Amazon and Boeing.

The company's core offering is the Blokable Building System (BBS), which produces prefabricated, steel-framed modules called "Bloks." These units are manufactured almost entirely off-site in factories located in Vancouver, Washington, and Sacramento, California, and then transported for assembly. This manufacturing approach allows for stacking units up to five stories high to create various housing configurations, from single-family homes to multi-story apartment buildings. Each Blok is outfitted with a smart monitoring system called BlokSense, which tracks metrics like air quality, humidity, and energy usage to reduce long-term operating and maintenance costs.

Blokable's business model is multifaceted, functioning as a "housing development as a service." The company offers a turnkey solution that encompasses the entire development lifecycle, including design, planning, permitting, manufacturing, delivery, and on-site construction. This vertical integration is intended to de-risk projects and reduce the time and costs associated with traditional construction. For market-rate housing, Blokable retains ownership of the units and builds equity. When working on affordable housing, the company partners with nonprofit organizations, housing trusts, and municipalities, charging a fee to develop the projects in addition to the construction cost. This approach has enabled them to deliver projects at a significantly lower cost per unit compared to regional averages, as demonstrated by the Phoenix Rising project in Washington State.