Oxwash is this week’s Startup of the Week, and it’s on a mission to reduce the environmental effect of clothes washing.
Oxwash is a cleaning service that allows customers to pay to have their clothes washed or dry cleaned at one of the company’s facilities. Customers need to do nothing more than make an order online, and one of the Oxwash riders will come and collect their laundry, take it to be cleaned, and then return it to them.
Laundry has a reputation for consuming a lot of water per load. When compared to normal commercial washing machines, Oxwash’s laundry cleaning service uses water reclamation technology to save up to 60% on water use. Customers will receive a sustainable cleaning service that helps both people and the environment.
Dr Kyle Grant, synthetic biology and former NASA scientist, launched Oxwash in 2018. Kyle’s problems with his college’s washing machines, which appeared to be continually damaged, inspired him to establish his own business. Kyle decided to establish a washing business for himself and others at the institution with just a bag and a bike, collecting his and other students’ laundry to clean. Kyle’s services became in-demand washing services as interest rose, and the company has now grown beyond Oxford to include Cambridge and London.
The company’s objective is to have net-zero carbon emissions throughout the whole washing process, from collection to delivery, while still providing clinical-grade cleanliness. The company claims to be-engineering the washing process from the ground up,’ and that they are ‘eager to grow into new cities, new nations, and wash new items.’
Oxwash has raised £5.7 million in total finance throughout four funding rounds. Their most recent round (Equity Crowdfunding) raised £500k and was announced in November 2021.
“Our objective was to create a large network of shareholders who are as passionate about our mission as we are and can act as real brand ambassadors, which is why we set the investment threshold at £5,000 per person.” We’re ecstatic with the outcome and amount of support after seeing £100k contributed in under three hours and being able to finish the round in fifteen minutes. We understand that being simply another laundry app isn’t going to cut it. Developing a hyper-local, carbon-neutral, and tech-enabled approach that mitigates rather than adds to the sector’s negative impact on the world is vital.”
