Starchup Inc. and Laundry Locker Inc. (dba DropLocker) have entered into a strategic agreement to license DropLocker’s patents and other intellectual property related to the storage, pickup and delivery of laundry, drycleaning and household items to lockers and secured locations.
The agreement permits Starchup to integrate the locker-based delivery tools into the Starchup point of sale and will extend the rights to Starchup customers through use of its software.
DropLocker will become the exclusive supplier of lockers to Starchup and be named the preferred locker supplier to Starchup’s POS users – including the patented Angled Locker design, which maximizes hanging space in lockers and preserves the finish on long-hanging items.
Lockers can provide a unique extension of a laundromat or drycleaning business by adding a physical presence to locations where customers live, work and play – making it more convenient for them to get laundry done. Laundry lockers can be found in offices, parking garages, apartment complexes and universities.
“Starchup customers have been interested in locker-based delivery for a while,” said Nick Chapleau, CEO and co-founder of Starchup. “That interest deepened through the COVID-19 pandemic, as contactless delivery solutions became necessary. As an industry innovator ourselves, Starchup appreciates and respects IP rights and worked with the team at DropLocker to provide these best-in-class solutions to our customers. We see this partnership as a win-win.
“Starchup software users can tap into DropLocker’s unparalleled expertise in locker-based delivery, as both an operator and supplier. Consistent with our founding mission, this agreement allows Starchup to continue its work providing technology solutions to cleaners and laundromats to expand and grow their businesses. This is one of many future moves we’ll be making on behalf of our customers.”
“DropLocker has long admired the work that Starchup is doing,” explained W. Tad Jenkins, CEO of DropLocker. “We are pleased to be working with the team at Starchup as they expand the already impressive suite of tools in their product offering, especially as demand for contactless and convenient delivery solutions continues to increase. Their appreciation for our technology is a shining example of how the laundry and drycleaning industries can partner to innovate and grow, responsibly, together while providing the best tools possible for our collective cleaner partners and the best convenience and experiences to our end-user customers.”
Locker-based delivery for laundry and drycleaning has been available for more than 16 years, pioneered in San Francisco by DropLocker founder Arik Levy.
“Locker delivery for laundry and drycleaning was a niche for many years, mostly adopted by new entrepreneurs dedicated only to lockers,” Levy noted. “More recently, traditional cleaners have adopted lockers as an additional distribution pillar, supplementing their brick-and-mortar counter stores and home-delivery routes.”
“Established cleaners are finding that delivery to lockers is more efficient for drivers, more convenient for time-starved and convenience-minded customers, and provides a built-in marketing asset for cleaners,” Chapleau added. “It can become a 24/7 extension of their stores.”
Full details of the license agreement have not been made public.
