Lavoire Moderne, a Parisian start-up company launched in 2014, is setting out to change the dry cleaning market with a more eco-friendly and economical offering, including home delivery in just 30 minutes.
To ensure a high level of service while keeping costs and rates low, the start-up is now raising €5 million from private investors, and preparing to raise another €20 million by the end of 2019. The company of co-founders Alphadio Olory-Togbé and Pierre-Henri Canonne is making accessible to anyone by its low prices what until now has been a luxury service: €2.50 for a kilo of linen (vs. €7 on average in Paris), or €1.50 for a shirt (vs. €4 on average in Paris), with delivery included and by using uses robotics, artificial intelligence, and state-of-the-art traceability technologies.
The ongoing fundraising will enable a break-even point at the end of the year, after opening a new plant in March, and starting construction on another plant scheduled to open in 2020. The new plants will allow service extension to the Parisian suburbs before expanding into the largest European capitals. For the coming years the company is planning to expand internationally into London and Berlin.