New Story

ServiceAtlanta, GA, USA; Mexico City, Mexico (offices; distributed team)Founded 2014· One of 2188 Service companies tracked by AMPulse

US nonprofit enabling underserved Latin American families to own land and homes through land development, impact investment, philanthropy and housing innovation, including an ICON 3D-printed community.

CEO / Founder: Catherine Colyer
Team Size: 11-50
Stage: Active
Total Funding: Over $80M (cumulative fundraising; not identified as venture equity)
Latest Round: Seed
Key Investors: Y Combinator; Individual donors; Philanthropic foundations

Technology & Products

Key Products

Serviced-land development and ownership programs; access to credit and home financing; housing R&D including Casa NEXT and a bamboo demonstration-home pilot; historical ICON 3D-printed community in Mexico.

Technological Advantage

Blends philanthropic support and impact investment with local developer and municipality partnerships to expand serviced land, ownership and housing finance; funds and tests housing innovations for underserved families.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Makes land and homeownership accessible to underserved families by developing serviced land, enabling affordable monthly payments and legal title within 24 months, and using land ownership to unlock credit and home financing.

How They Differentiate

Operates as a nonprofit focused on underserved families' land and homeownership, combining market-based development, housing finance and philanthropic R&D. Its approach uses multiple housing solutions, including 3D printing.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Underserved families in developing countries, humanitarian organizations, government housing agencies

Industry Verticals

Construction; Humanitarian Aid; Affordable Housing

Competitors

Apis Cor; Mighty Buildings; WASP

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Built 37 communities (100-150 homes per project) in Latin America since founding, housing over 2,300 families; named Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies four times.

Major Milestones

2018: First permitted 3D-printed home with ICON; 2020: First 3D-printed community in Mexico; Goal to house 1M individuals by 2030

Notable Customers

Families in Nacajuca, Mexico; Local governments in Tabasco, Mexico

https://www.newstoryhomes.org

Funding rounds

Seed$150K2015-08Source: Y Combinator - August 2015

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

New Story occupies a distinct niche in additive construction as a non-profit focused exclusively on humanitarian housing in developing regions. Unlike commercial builders such as Apis Cor or Mighty Buildings, New Story targets underserved families and disaster-prone areas, deploying ruggedized material extrusion (MEX-3DCP) printers that can operate under unpredictable power and weather conditions.

The organization partners with ICON to deploy proprietary Vulcan II 3D printing technology, which prints concrete homes in 24-48 hours at roughly $10,000 per unit versus $50,000 or more for conventional construction. This speed and cost reduction enables rapid community-scale deployment in remote areas where traditional building methods are slow or impractical.

New Story has built 37 communities in Latin America, housing over 2,300 families, with projects in Nacajuca and Tabasco, Mexico. Its model blends philanthropic donations with impact investment and technical partnerships, including ÉCHALE, Yaskawa Electric, and Alchemy Builders. The organization aims to house 1 million individuals by 2030.

A key strategic question is whether New Story's reliance on ICON's proprietary technology creates dependency or limits its ability to scale independently. Its non-profit structure and 100% donation-to-home model differentiate it from for-profit competitors, but scaling to its 2030 goal will require sustained partnership funding and adaptation to diverse regional building codes.