Look inside the 'Tesla of eco-villages' that's aiming to meet the rising demand for sustainable living outside of dense major cities during the coronavirus pandemic

"It's not a gated community for wealthy people," he told Business Insider.

Instead, he said people at various income levels would be able to take up residence at a ReGen village. Perhaps 40% could be designated for government-subsidized units for the working class, then a portion for a middle-class bracket. Larger units could be allocated for people of means or for older residents looking to downsize.

Ehrlich said people could also buy a villa with a group of friends in the community.

Each community would be outfitted with regenerative systems providing an infinite loop of resources for residents.

For example, household waste could help fertilize aquaponic farms that would grow produce for consumption. Livestock would be raised, which in turn would help fertilize gardens that also produce food. Rainwater would be collected and used for crops, and solar panels would adorn the homes.

The company is developing machine learning and artificial intelligence software, dubbed VillageOS, to use in master planning for community development. The software would also run the physical community.

It could also be used to sync ReGen communities around the world, allowing each neighborhood to share data and learn how to optimize living conditions, energy use, and overall efficiency.

For example, a community in Arizona could learn from one in Africa — both would be operating in similarly arid conditions.

For that reason, Ehrlich has been referring to ReGen as the "Tesla of eco-villages" — the concept is similar to how Tesla uses machine learning to analyze data gathered from autopilot systems in its vehicles, as Business Insider's Dana Varinsky reported in 2016.

There is interest from land developers, architects, and construction partners abroad in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US.

The company has formed a partnership with Britain's Sir Robert McAlpine, one of the nation's largest engineering construction firms and the mastermind behind London's Olympic Stadium. ReGen is also working with Sweden's White Arkitekter on a project that would make this kind of prefab, turnkey housing approach a reality.

Ehrlich said the startup is currently seeking Series A funding, with some "irons in the fire" already.

"Now especially because of COVID we are literally being inundated with tremendous demand for how we could use [parts] outside of cities — near suburban, peri-urban, and rural areas — to be apart of this new green transition," Ehrlich said.

Many major cities have seen an exodus of residents flocking to more rural parts to stay with family to ride out the global health emergency. Some smaller, rural locales are not prepared to accept such influxes.

The startup was founded by James Ehrlich, an entrepreneur in residence at Stanford University in Palo Alto with 25 years of experience in Silicon Valley under his belt. He serves as part of a White House joint task force on the Nexus of Food, Water, Energy, and Waste and is also a senior fellow at NASA's Ames Research Center.