North London Food & Culture

Public Speaking: Ed Relf, Laundry entrepreneur

Meet the man solving your dirty washing dramas

North Londoner Ed Relf has helped launch some of the world’s most successful digital startups, including the Moshi Monsters children’s game phenomenon. Now he’s turning his hand to laundry. As co-founder & CEO of Laundrapp, he’s busy taking the hassle out of doing the dirty clothes, by shifting the whole process away from the washing machine… and onto your phone.

You need to be proud of your failures in business. You have to fail to prevail. Some people use it as an excuse to not try. But I’m a serial entrepreneur, so I’ve had many success and failures, all of which I’m extremely proud of.

At first the idea for a mobile app for laundry seemed pretty audacious – but the more I considered it, the more it become clear that there was a huge opportunity. The idea originally came via our chairman, who first shared his vision with me less than a year ago. The dry cleaning and laundry industry peaked in the 1980s and hasn’t changed in decades. It’s ripe for some disruption.

[note note_color=”#66c2ff” radius=”4″]Want to give Laundrapp a spin? Kentishtowner readers get £10 off the first wash using the code KENTISH. Search for Laundrapp on the Apple or Android app stores.[/note]


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Washing machines beware! Ed is not your friend...
Washing machines beware! Ed is not your friend…

I’m becoming increasingly conscious of the value of time. It’s a cliché, but it’s one of the most precious gifts we have, so I value anything that can save it and give me more time with my growing family. On-demand service such as Uber, Bizzby, Just Eat and Laundrapp have revolutionised my life for this reason – my phone has become a remote control for services that give me back precious time – whether it’s grocery shopping, taxis, takeaways or laundry.

One of the most exciting things technology can do is solve the unfair issue of price.
I visited many high street dry cleaners and was amazed by the variations. In one example I went to the very same dry cleaner with the same jacket on three separate occasions and was given three different prices. The market is entirely broken and the consumer is losing out, so we’re very proud to offer transparency and standardisation.

My best ideas have always come when travelling with my notebook and pencil in-hand. Travel allows time to think and has always provided me my best and most liberating experiences too. I’ve met many beautiful people (including my wife) and seen many beautiful places. Ironically though, my worst experiences have also come through extensive travel – being placed under armed guard after a kidnapping threat was certainly a low point in my travels, but I’m saving that story for my memoirs…

Come and meet more app entrepreneurs and digital disruptors at the next Kentish Cluster. This month’s event is on Thursday 23rd April 6pm-9pm at Tapping the Admiral, Castle Rd, NW1. Register for a free ticket (including beer or wine and some tasty bites)

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