Startups to Watch: Tomu

Editor’s note: This is one of our Startups to Watch of 2022. See the rest here.

Chris Osaka watched the housing supply dwindle as people moved to remote work, or to new actual physical addresses, through the pandemic. He also saw an opportunity, he said, to create an option for both investors and people looking to buy second homes — and avoid the chaos of the current housing market.

Enter Tomu LLC — its name a personal reference to Osaka’s 100-year-old grandfather. The company, self-funded with $300,000, makes Japanese- and Scandinavian-inspired modular getaway villas at a manufacturing facility in Frederick, Maryland, then delivers them to the buyers for assembly. Each has a floor plan designed to feel like a luxury hotel rather than a tiny house, with big windows, 9-foot ceilings and features like rain showers and soaking tubs, Osaka said. A studio villa (480 square feet) starts at $99,500, a one-bedroom (960 square feet) starts at $179,500 and a two-bedroom (1,440 square feet) starts at $259,500.

Tomu is targeting developers of hospitality properties, investors looking for rentals and private buyers seeking vacation or second homes.

Osaka previously held corporate leadership positions in marketing at Hilton Worldwide and in retail development at Nike. His Tomu team includes Chief Design Officer Darius Kuzmickas and Chief Operating Officer Malcolm Johnson, who bring backgrounds in hospitality design and construction. And he plans to hire for manufacturing positions and its fabrication team, as well as marketing, sales and production management roles.

Tomu is just beginning initial production this year, to be followed by its first deliveries to customers in the spring and increasing production to full capacity “as quickly as possible,” Osaka said. He’s not actively fundraising, he said, but adds he’s open to future investment by the right partner.

A closer look