Laundry and home cleaning startup, UClean raises Rs 4 Cr in pre-Series A funding
Faridabad-based UClean raised the pre-Series A funding from the US-based angel investor, Anubhav Chopra. With new funding in its kitty, the laundry startup is entering the dry-cleaning segment with ‘UClean Select’ and is also launching UClean mobile app for end-user convenience.
US-based angel investor, Anubhav Chopra has also invested in setting up the first ever ‘UClean Select’ store. UClean Select is the brand’s dry cleaning offering for premium dry cleaning for clothes and bags. UClean is foraying in the dry clean segment with its first UClean Select store in South Delhi’s Defence Colony area of Delhi.
UClean also launched its Android and iOS apps for the convenience of last minute bookings and quick doorstep services.
In February 2018, the integrated laundry services provider entered the home cleaning space with Mint Clean.
Launched in October 2016, UClean is on a mission to build India's first organised chain of laundry and home cleaning stores, focused on fostering the DIY (Do It Yourself) culture. UClean also enables the time-crunched customers to avail pick-n- drop service from the comfort of their home or office.
“At UClean, it is an endeavour to cater to all the cleaning requirements inside a household and are delighted to launch ‘UClean Select’, our first ever ‘Dry Cleaning store’ that will create cleaner and safer environment. We would be building UClean Select on the lines of UClean through the franchise route and would be targeting around 50 franchises of UClean Select by 2020,” added Arunabh Sinha, Founder and CEO of UClean.
UClean is looking to work with other entrepreneurs and investors and co-build the UClean brand via the franchise route. The entrepreneurs are trained, equipped and handheld in building and operating their own UClean franchise store. With some of the most credible partners on-board for a venture of this nature, UClean is striving to not just be a brand but an overall segment creator.
“India with its 1.2 billion plus population is a huge market for the cleaning business. One thing that you have in abundance in India is dirt. UClean has tapped this market at an opportune time and I am confident that this will grow to greater heights in the time to come,” added Anubhav Chopra, Angel investor and Founder of Thinking Deals.
Anubhav has previously invested about $1M on various fintech companies that have been powered by blockchain. This is his first investment in the offline brick and mortar space and the US-based investor revealed that he was fascinated by the rapid growth of the brand in a short period.
The laundry startup has earlier received an initial seed investment from Franchise India and claims to grow aggressively through the franchising route.
“Laundry has always been a necessity and a time-consuming chore. We estimate that by end of 2020 more than 3 million Indian households will need outsourced laundry and cleaning services due to the time crunch and rising disposable income. The urban class can avail this Do-It-Yourself opportunity with the increase of smartphone penetration. We would continue working with UClean on their aggressive scale-up plan,” added Gaurav Marya, Chairman of Franchise India.
