Hometown Empire
The entrepreneurship simulation that turns the financial-literacy crisis into a generational market opportunity.
Players enter their ZIP code and build real businesses — coffee shops, landscaping companies, online stores — inside a virtual replica of their own city powered by live US Census data. Every decision maps to a genuine financial concept: hire or hold, expand or cut, borrow or bootstrap, file a permit or risk a fine.
Schools teach algebra. Not how to read a P&L.
57% of Americans cannot pass a basic financial-literacy test. Most students graduate having never balanced a budget, understood a paycheck deduction, or seen a business permit.
of Americans cannot pass a basic financial-literacy test (FINRA)
financial education required in most US school curricula
of Gen Z feel unprepared for real-world financial decisions
more likely to start a business if taught entrepreneurship in school
Why Hometown Empire Wins
ZIP-Level Personalization
'Hoboken Empire' hooks a player instantly. No competitor does this — replicating the live city-data pipeline takes 12+ months to clone.
Real Financial Mechanics
Actual P&L, balance sheets, permit flows, and insurance choices — not toy economics. Players make the same decisions real founders make.
ARIA — AI Business Mentor
Claude API–powered contextual coaching turns every decision into a teachable moment, at scale, at consumer price points.
Credentialing Layer
Earned certificates in budgeting, accounting, and entrepreneurship that schools and employers can verify.
Competitive Matrix
| Capability | Hometown Empire | Minecraft Edu | SimCity | Khan Academy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real P&L / financials | ✅ | — | — | — |
| ZIP-level personalization | ✅ | — | — | — |
| AI business mentor | ✅ | — | — | Partial |
| Permit / license mechanics | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Multiplayer supply chain | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
| School-district licensing | ✅ | ✅ | — | ✅ |
| Earned certificates | ✅ | — | — | ✅ |
Two reinforcing revenue streams.
School License
120 districts × $4,999 = $600K Year-1 ARR. One pilot success = ~10 referrals.
Consumer Pro
Freemium → Pro. 2,000 subscribers = $240K Year-1 ARR. CAC ~$15, LTV ~$360 over 3 years.
Expansion Packs
City themes, business unlocks, premium districts. $120K Year-1 estimate.
Enterprise / Workforce
Chambers of commerce, economic development orgs, workforce training programs.
$1.16M total Year-1 ARR target · $750K Pre-Seed raise · SAFE · $6M cap · 20% discount · 18-month runway
The Roadmap
Beta (Months 1–3)
500 beta users · Day-7 retention >30% · 1 school LOI · $0 infrastructure cost
MVP Launch (Months 4–6)
First $10K MRR · 2 paying districts · ARIA (Claude API) live
Growth (Months 7–9)
$50K MRR · 10 districts · App Store live · 10+ business types
Scale (Months 10–12)
$1M+ ARR run-rate · enterprise deals · seed raise or cash-flow positive
Tech Stack
Lovable
Frontend / game UI. React + TypeScript + Tailwind. Ships in days, not quarters.
Supabase
Postgres + RLS + Edge Functions. Auth, realtime P&L, secrets management.
Claude API
ARIA the AI mentor. Server-side Edge Function proxy — never from the client.
Stripe
$9.99/mo consumer + $4,999/yr school district billing, fully automated.
US Census API
ZIP-level city generation: population, median income, employment data.
Capacitor
Wraps React for App Store + Google Play launch at Month 7.
Get Early Access
Be first in line for beta keys, school pilots, and investor updates.