{"id":142607,"date":"2017-10-12T12:18:21","date_gmt":"2017-10-12T11:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/?p=142607"},"modified":"2021-05-12T08:19:45","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T07:19:45","slug":"laundryheap-raises-2m-17m-valuation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/news\/laundryheap-raises-2m-17m-valuation\/","title":{"rendered":"Startups Awards finalist Laundryheap raises \u00a32m to hit \u00a317m valuation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laundryheap, the on-demand delivery start-up and App of the Year finalist at the Startups Awards 2017<\/a>, has raised £2m via angel finance in a funding round led by Simon Smith and QVentures.<\/p>\n

Now valued at £17m, this current round represents the first instance of external finance the start-up has raised – as it previously had been bootstrapped.<\/p>\n

Targeted towards time-strapped consumers who don’t have time to attend to their own laundry, Laundryheap offers an on-demand dry cleaning service that allows users make their bookings directly via its website or iOS and Android app.<\/p>\n

After the user picks a time that suits them for collection, Laundryheap’s scouts then pick up the dirty laundry from the user’s home or chosen location and deliver them to a partner facility, where they are expertly cleaned and returned within 24 hours, any day of the week.<\/p>\n

The start-up also offers same-day collection (pick up in 30 minutes) and free delivery within 24 hours, and is part of the major shift of bringing established industries to the ‘on-demand’ economy.<\/p>\n

Launched in 2014 by Deyan Dimitrov, Sebastian van Os and Mayur Bommai, the London-based start-up is available to users in the nation’s capital as well as in Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin and Dubai.<\/p>\n

Claiming to have generated £2m in revenue this year and said to have made “thousands” of deliveries since inception, the start-up will use the latest injection of funding to explore international opportunities.<\/p>\n

Deyan Dimitrov, founder and CEO of Laundryheap, said:<\/p>\n

“As a company we have seen incredible growth off the back of raising the standard of on-demand laundry services.<\/p>\n

“With this investment, we look to become the market leader in Europe within the next 12 months.”<\/p>\n

Laundryheap’s main rival is the on-demand laundry sector is Startups 100-ranked Laundrapp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Working on very similar model and currently available in over 100 UK towns and cities, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and UAE, Laundrapp has raised over £15m to date, and employs over 90 members of staff across its head office, regional laundry hubs and delivery drivers.<\/p>\n

Looking to emulate its biggest rival, Laundryheap will be hoping it can follow in the footsteps of Laundrapp – who captured App of the Year at the 2016 Startups Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a recent blog for Startups, Laundrapp co-founder and CEO Edward Relf explained how its Startups Awards success had spurred the start-up on to expand into international markets and launch new features on its app<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Taking place on the 30th November 2017, the 14th Startups Awards 2017<\/a> will see a record-breaking 77 finalists compete across 16 categories including The Start Up Loans Start-up of the Year, Crowdfunded Business of the Year, Product Business of the Year and the Women in Business Award.<\/p>\n

Alongside Laundryheap, finalists in the App of the Year<\/strong><\/a> category include:<\/p>\n