Washmen – a Dubai-based dry cleaning and laundry service start-up – recently announced it has raised $6.2 million in its Series B for its app-based laundry service. The round was led by AddVenture, a global VC based in Russia. The round was also joined by Germany-based leading consumer goods company Henkel, Lebanon’s Cedar Mundi Ventures and B&Y Partners and UAE’s Clara Ventures.
Founded in 2015 Washmen had originally started with an asset light model connecting customers with logistics partners and existing laundromats, but now fully owns the supply chain after launching its own 30,000 sq. ft. laundry and dry cleaning facility last month. Rami Shaar, the company’s Co- Founder and CEO: “Our new facility, equipped with our proprietary tech, will allow us to clean up to 25,000 items a day when we are at peak utilisation.”
The company allows users to order laundry or dry cleaning services through its mobile app (for Android or iOS) by selecting pick up and drop off times. The turnaround time is 48 hours but users also have the option of requesting next day delivery by paying 50 per cent premium on the charges. The start-up claims to have already become the largest retail laundry and dry clean operator in the UAE.