Serial entrepreneur Jonathan Abrams is adding a little class to the co-working model with a new office called the Founders Den.

Now, Ia4��a4�m a big fan of some of San Franciscoa4��a4�s other co-working spaces, where very early companies (or, in some cases, anyone else who&'s interested) can share an office. But Ia4��a4�ll admit that they get a lot of their charm from their scrappiness. I think the quintessential co-working team is a pair or trio of programmers in their twenties, looking like they walked straight from their bedroom to the office, crammed around a couple of desks, coding.

Abrams, who previously founded Socializr, Friendster, and HotLinks, doesna4��a4�t fit into that model. (He&'s the furthest left in the photo above.) Neither do the Founders Dena4��a4�s other managers, Jason Johnson (former vice president of marketing and business development at Dolby Laboratories, pictured center right), Michael Levit (former executive vice president of marketing and business development at Vendio, pictured far right), or Zachary Bogue (pictured center left, co-founder of Montara Capital Partners and, incidentally, husband of Google executive Marissa Mayer).

The quartet said they are all developing new startup projects, and they were interested in working in the same office, but they didna4��a4�t find any of the existing co-working options very appealing. So they thought up the Founders Den, which is aimed at a slightly more experienced, exclusive crowd. Abrams said that if most incubators and co-working offices are like college (Dogpatch Labs describes itself as a4��Aa frathouse for geeksa4���), the den is more like grad school.

So how is this space actually different Well, there are some physical differences. Therea4��a4�s a large clubhouse area for events or hosting guests. The clubhouse includes desks and Internet connections, so guests could stick around and work there for an afternoon. The furniture is a little nicer than what youa4��a4�d find in most co-working spaces (I spent at least a minute talking to Levit about the softness of one of the pillows). And there are a few small offices (plus numerous conference rooms) for companies who want to be near other startups without literally being in the same room.

Perhaps the biggest difference is the emphasis on exclusivity. Therea4��a4�s no formal application process. You dona4��a4�t have to be an experienced entrepreneur, but you will need a reference or recommendation to get in, either through one of the managers or their advisors and sponsors. (The sponsors include DLA Piper, Norwest Venture Partners, SecondMarket, and office furniture company Turnstone/Steelcase.) Ia4��a4�m not allowed to tell you the officea4��a4�s exact address, though I can say that ita4��a4�s in San Franciscoa4��a4�s South of Market district, near a whole bunch of Web startups including Twitter.

As for how much it costs once you get in, Abrams said the rent is basically market rate. And since the Founders Den isna4��a4�t an incubator, tenants dona4��a4�t have to accept any investment (though therea4��a4�s always a possibility that one of the managers or advisors may want to invest on their own).

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Tags: co-working

Companies: Founders Den

People: Jason Johnson, Jonathan Abrams, Michael Levit, Zachary Bogue

Tags: co-working

Companies: Founders Den

People: Jason Johnson, Jonathan Abrams, Michael Levit, Zachary Bogue

Anthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.

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