Same modus operandi: excessively VC funded, lots of hype, proprietary parts, mounting losses, loosing money with every sale, ... and it's getting worse every year. Cowboy Bikes is just another bankruptcy waiting to happen.
That being said: if I were in the market today I think I'd go for the Veloretti Ace. Less proprietary parts, great design and owned by a stable company.
I would like to get the Veloretti Ace, but they only sell it in three countries :/
"Use standard stuff" has a lot of value, obviously, but it also limits you. This is true for everything: from bike parts to the POSIX API or POSIX shell.