Looks like more female-focused coworking is coming to DC

As coworking spaces become more an more pervasive, will we see a rise in options focused on specific groups?

Just one month after The Wing, NYC’s popular women-only coworking space and social club, announced its pending expansion into D.C., “female-focused” coworking company COTERIE has done the same.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based company (which currently operates one space in Charlotte and one in Pittsburgh) recently announced that it has raised a $1.25 million seed round and, with that cash, intends to expand into D.C. and Orlando, Fla.

The D.C. space will be in Capitol Hill, according to a press release.

https://twitter.com/Coterie_Company/status/861008251713974272

“COTERIE offers an inclusive and collaborative space that fosters partnership and opportunity for our communities, all in a beautiful and secure environment,” CEO Joanna Bailey said in a statement. “We are grateful for the support and enthusiasm of our markets, our partners, the women and men who help us push this vision forward, and our investors.”

COTERIE’s website includes a section that says that while the spaces are female-focused, the company “intends to serve each community we invest in, and that means people of all ages, gender identification and cultures are welcome.”

This makes the company sound a good deal less niche than the “women-only” mantra of The Wing. Still we can’t help but wonder whether, as coworking options continue to flood into the market (WeWork, for example, will have 10 D.C. area locations by the fall), focusing in on one interest group is a good way to competitively distinguish a smaller brand. Only time will tell how COTERIE is received in the District.