18. Laundrapp

Founders: Nicholas Bransby-Williams, Antony Pink, Dominic Perks and Edward Relf
Founded: April 2014 (Launched January 2015)
Website: www.laundrapp.com

For a start-up to retain its ranking among the top 20 businesses in our Startups 100 index for two consecutive years is an impressive feat and an accolade which Laundrapp, alongside its App of the Year Startups Awards win, can now boast.

Originally launched as a service to fulfill your laundry and dry cleaning needs, from just £2 an item, with a tap of a smartphone, Laundrapp’s on-demand offering now extends to ironing and linen rental for Airbnb hosts. What’s more, you can now use the app in more than 100 towns and cities across the UK.

Constantly developing and innovating its service, the app now incorporates all of the latest in smart technology: you can order for your laundry to be collected using its voice-activated service via Alexa and app users can also benefit from real-time driver tracking.

Since featuring in our 2016 index, Laundrapp – whose founding team includes former Mind Candy CTO Ed Relf – has raised £5m funding to take total investment to an eye-watering £10m and has launched its service in Australia and New Zealand.

Further expansion is also on the cards with plans to roll-out the app in 10 new markets over the next 18 months.

Relf says that over the last year “the business has exploded” and we’re inclined to agree particularly when you look at the business’ customer portfolio; corporate customers include Virgin, Marks & Spencer and Lloyds Banking Group.

According to Laundrapp, studies show that consumers spend an average of 10 hours a month on sorting, washing and ironing clothes and, as time-poor Brits seek out solutions to free-up their days, we’re confident that Laundrapp will continue to clean up in 2017.