David Eisenberg (left) and Ryan Orley.
David Eisenberg and Ryan Orley
Co-founders and managing directors at Zigg Capital
Commercial real estate seems to be shifting gears quicker than ever as it grapples with generational changes in the way people work and live. That means business is good for teams trying to fuel and advance evolution.
David Eisenberg and Ryan Orley started venture capital firm Zigg Capital with a focus on accelerating tech’s relationship with real estate from every angle. The goal is to propel an industry that New York-based Zigg Capital believes is stuck in the past.
Working in disparate fields, from construction to restaurant operations, Zigg Capital is finding ways to graduate the business of real estate beyond the simplistic value of “location, location, location.”
Eisenberg and Orley launched the company in 2018, and it quickly grew by leaps and bounds: Zigg’s second fund of $225 million closed in 2021 at more than twice the size of its first. And, while the pandemic raised existential challenges for stakeholders in commercial real estate, Zigg Capital found opportunities to embolden the building community to survive and thrive.
That’s remained true as Zigg Capital maintained healthy investment the past 12 months despite higher interest rates and economic headwinds. For example, the firm backed Kasa, which manages rentals for owners of multifamily and boutique hospitality properties, as well as Stairs Financial, a mortgage platform aimed at aiding first-time homebuyers.
Zigg is also an investor in other prominent companies such as Juniper Square, OpenSpace, VTS and Cherre.
Eisenberg knows plenty about starting something from scratch and growing it into a success. He was previously founder and CEO of Floored, a three-dimensional visualization platform, which served companies such as Blackstone, Related Companies, Tishman Speyer and Hines, and that CBRE eventually acquired. Eisenberg also founded VC firm Red Swan Ventures. In 2007, he was the first employee at Bonobos, a men’s clothing e-commerce startup.
Orley was previously at tech-focused private equity firm Millwell, and was also a specialist at Morgan Stanley.
