Anyone who has ever lived in a student dorm and wasn't one of those "I drop my dirty laundry off at my mom's on the weekend" types is probably very familiar with the principle of the communal laundry room: There are two washing machines for every 50 tenants, and anyone who wants clean laundry regularly has to sign up in advance for a strictly timed laundry schedule. As a result, you painstakingly hoard 50-cent pieces like gold coins at every opportunity, guarding this treasure until the eagerly awaited laundry date. Only to then discover that another resident couldn't care less about your sacred laundry schedule and the reserved machines are already in use. Frustrated, you lug your laundry back up three floors to your battery of laying hens, hoping for another opportunity soon. The Munich startup WeWash proves that washing machine sharing can also look different.
1. Who are you and what do you do? Please briefly introduce yourself and your product!
We are Philip, Rafael and Kay-Uwe and are the founders of WeWashAs colleagues at BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, we have dealt intensively with the topic of laundry in our professional lives. For us personally, the sharing approach has now become firmly established in our everyday lives. We've all shared cars, bicycles, scooters, or our apartments. When we founded WeWash, we asked ourselves why there isn't yet a modern approach to sharing washing machines. Today's systems, which use coins or tokens, are very inconvenient for users and are associated with a lot of frustration.
No more laundry tokens & co.
We're all familiar with laundromats in cities, but communal washrooms are also becoming increasingly common in residential buildings, retirement homes, and hotels. WeWash is digitizing these and aims to make them more user-friendly. Using a combination of software and hardware, it not only replaces the coin counter, but also allows users to track the wash process via smartphone and phone. The tedious search for cash or the purchase of laundry tokens, as well as unnecessary trips to the laundry room, are now a thing of the past.
For providers, processes such as selling washing tokens, emptying coin counters, documenting cash receipts, and visiting the bank to deposit change are eliminated. With WeWash, operators of shared washing machines and dryers save time and money.
WeWash makes life easier for everyone involved!
“We’re early!”
2. But that's been around for a long time!
Of course, laundromats and larger facilities in hotels or student residences have always existed, but until now, they have been anything but user-friendly and smart. Our solution allows existing shared washing machines and dryers to be digitized, saving everyone involved a lot of time and frustration. With WeWash, we make sharing washing machines and dryers attractive.
3. What are the key ingredients for your recipe for success?
We're early adopters! A digital sharing principle for existing washing machines and dryers is a model that no one has tried before us. On the product side, it's undoubtedly the ease of use, both for providers and end users. Providers will only replace their proven systems if it doesn't involve any particular effort. On the end user side, we had to consider that our target group is far from made up exclusively of digital natives. For this reason, WeWash can be used not only via smartphone; wash sessions can also be booked via landline phone. Last but not least, our team is our most important asset. WeWash needs pioneers who want to change the market and offer users a new laundry experience.
Munich has a great IoT scene
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
The market response has been very positive: We're receiving many calls from interested parties. We've successfully completed the first installations, and the feedback from installers and users has been very positive. In the coming months, we'll be completing further installations across Germany, making life easier for many people when it comes to laundry.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich is our home base. It all began with the local housing shortage and the problems of getting all the essential household appliances into the apartment. The idea was born over an after-work beer in a—what else?—beer garden: Philip and Rafael's own experiences and challenges with doing laundry inspired the idea of smart appliance sharing. Munich also offers a great IoT scene, where you can quickly network and exchange experiences. Last but not least, our parent company, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, is based in Munich. Accordingly, we have all been living in the most beautiful city in the world for years.
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Two extremes. We'll land somewhere in between, hopefully closer to the unicorn. We're fully committed to the shift in the mindsets of users and providers. Sharing is becoming more and more commonplace in all areas of our everyday lives. If we can grow as quickly as this shift is taking place in the mindsets of consumers, then we might see the unicorn on the horizon.
7. Hiking or beer garden?
Beer garden – that’s where we get our best ideas.
