Founder Friday is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.
This week we’re featuring a company rethinking how renters qualify for housing, while helping landlords drive higher occupancy and income.
In our 56th edition, meet Zach Schofel & Jacob Schofel, co-founders of Cosign, a PropTech platform modernizing tenant qualification for both renters and property owners.
Zach comes from a family real estate business, Eastman Residential, and holds a Master’s in Real Estate from NYU and a B.S. in Information Technology from Syracuse University.
Jacob previously worked as an engineering lead at one of the largest real estate software platforms in the U.S., specializing in tenant screening and compliance. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Together, the brothers bring deep real estate operating experience and technical expertise to the rental market.
Cosign’s mission is to expand housing access for renters while improving outcomes for landlords.
In the U.S. rental market, roughly 40% of renters face barriers qualifying for housing due to credit history, income requirements, or lack of rental history.
At the same time, landlords face persistent challenges identifying qualified renters that can impact occupancy and financial performance.
Cosign is bridging that gap.
The platform acts as a rental guarantor, similar to a parent co-signer, becoming legally responsible for rent obligations if a tenant defaults.
Approved renters pay a one-time fee, while landlords receive a guarantee that enables them to confidently approve applicants who may not meet traditional qualification standards.
Since launching in September 2024, Cosign has scaled rapidly, partnering with 250+ property management groups across the country and becoming accessible across hundreds of thousands of units.
In just over a year, Cosign has become one of the fastest-growing companies in PropTech and has expanded its team to more than 25 employees.
As housing affordability challenges continue to rise, Cosign is building what could become critical infrastructure for the future of rental housing.
See what Zach and Jacob have to say in this week’s Founder Friday Q&A 👇
Founder Q&A
Describe your company in 5 words or less.
Zach & Jacob: Boost occupancy + expanding housing options.
What was your primary motivation for starting your business?
Zach: I built Cosign after spending years acquiring and operating 3,000+ apartments across the U.S., where I saw firsthand that nearly 40% of renters were being denied from their choice apartment because of a broken system. It felt like my experience as a landlord and my love for tech were the perfect combination to address the issue.
Jacob: I wasn’t actively looking to leave my role. But between my time working on tenant screening and Zach’s experience as a landlord, we’d identified a problem worth solving. Cosign was an exciting challenge that aligned with my technical background and what I find interesting, and the bonus of building it with family made it hard to pass up.
What new product/feature are you most excited about and why?
Zach & Jacob: Top secret!! One thing we always look forward to is continuing to invest in our systems to evaluate all renters and give as many renters as possible access to homes.
What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?
Zach: Don’t work with your brother :) Just kidding! Quick feedback loops — quick feedback loops across all aspects of the business and with customers. It allows you to have almost unlimited iterations as you find product market fit and continually iterate toward success.
Jacob: Answering this from an engineering lens: fight the urge to overengineer. Fast feedback loops are everything at an early stage, and getting there means intentionally taking on tech debt you won’t always have the resources to pay back. You have to be more ruthless about what’s actually worth building (and what’s worth building well) the first time.
What do you love to do in your free time?
Zach: I love to travel and explore the world! My goal is to visit every country and spend my Julys working from Tel Aviv. Also a big fan of sci-fi.
Jacob: Travel and anything outdoors. I love hiking, and recently picked up cycling too. Basically any excuse to be outside.
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited recently and why?
Zach: Panama! We did a company offsite there. Such a beautiful country — we went with our entire team two hours outside the city to visit an indigenous village with no access to the outside world. Really special seeing how they live, and it makes you appreciate the small things in life. Over 15% of Panama is indigenous!!
Jacob: Outside our team offsite to Panama, Crater Lake in Oregon was a recent highlight. The deep blue color is wild in person, not really something a camera can capture. You’re climbing up and then out of nowhere this massive lake just opens up in front of you.
What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?
Zach: Superhuman! I live in my email all day and it allows me to work so much faster. Also Slack — we automate a lot of our company through Slack, and it allows us to keep the important stuff in email. Personal is Twitter — I’m addicted.
Jacob: Work: Claude Code. As an engineer it’s changed how I build day to day, and it’s added a ton of context to the planning and management side too. Personal: Messenger, controversially. I know most people don’t love it, but I’m a fan.
What do you want to be when you grow up (besides a successful founder)? 😊
Zach: A great dad/husband and world traveler.
Jacob: Someone who’s traveled and explored as much of the world as possible?
What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?
Zach: What is a no and what is failure? Never heard of it. If you iterate quickly enough, you have unlimited tries — and failure becomes impossible.
Jacob: I don’t think there’s one answer. It depends on the business, your team, your role, and what stage you’re at. If I had to name something that matters regardless, it’d be communication, internally and with customers.
Know a founder building something exceptional?
Reply to this email — I’m always looking to meet great entrepreneurs.
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