PRESSO - Dislike of laundry chores leads to advanced garment care technology
Imagine a cost and time saving, energy-efficient machine that can clean, press and dry your clothes in just a few minutes!
Presso, an Atlanta-based startup, has developed a patented robotics-driven dry cleaning system that promises to transform how we maintain our clothing.
The story begins at Purdue University, where two engineering students identified a common pain point in daily life. It turned out that Thibault Corens, a Belgian studying mechanical and manufacturing engineering, and Nishant Jain, a native of India specializing in electrical engineering and software development, shared a frustration with traditional laundry processes. Their personal experiences with ruined garments due to discoloration and shrinkage became the catalyst for what would eventually become Presso.
“We were both freshmen and we quickly learned that we did not enjoy doing laundry – we hated it,” proclaims Corens. “We spent hours doing laundry and ironing garments only to ruin the clothes by discoloration or shrinkage. That’s when it started. That’s when the seeds of Presso were planted.”
Innovation and Prototyping
Upon graduation, the young visionaries moved to China, spending a year in the special economic zone of Shenzhen, where they immersed themselves in the fast-paced world of prototyping and manufacturing. They participated through HAX, a program financed by global venture capital firm SOSV, that aims to provide multi-stage investment to support deep tech start-ups.
Corens says the key takeaway from their time in China was that speed matters when it comes to prototyping.
“Shenzhen is the largest electronics market in the world and we were quickly able to acquire custom parts there that we needed for our early iterations – that high-speed acceleration really jump-started our progress that we would not have been able to do if we had stayed in the United States,” acknowledges Corens.
Working with Protocase
As a cutting-edge, AI robotics-based firm, Presso is constantly creating new iterations of its product. And, as the company founders discovered, when it comes to prototyping, speed is key.
“As a venture-backed start-up, we don’t care as much about cost as we do about speed – speed is so crucial for us,” says Corens. “We know that if we need certain things prototyped quickly, we can turn to Protocase.”
Presso uses a variety of Protocase-manufactured products including sheet metal enclosures, tanks, connection pieces and module-specific brackets. The majority of those parts are used in the validation stages of the processes Presso goes through with the various iterations of its own products.
“So, I believe we get tremendous value from Protocase because of the speed and willingness to quickly make small-quantity prototyping parts and components,” says Corens.
The Technologies
“We are offering both a pressing solution and a refreshing solution,” says Corens.
The Presso machine utilizes a pressurized steam-based pressing system that can treat almost all fabrics and garments types, from 100% silk to fine linen. The vending machine-like device also uses a proprietary cleaning solution, in the form of an atomized spray that is designed to chemically neutralize body odor on clothes.
“Users can effectively remove all body odor from their garments and it only takes an extra minute or two,” says Corens, adding that Presso’s proprietary refreshing formula does not irritate skin, ensures garment safety without the deterioration of fabrics and has a pH neutrality to perfectly preserve fabric colors.
“It took us about three years, but we created a cleaning liquid that changes the molecular structure of body odor within a minute and a half.”
Corens proudly states that Presso doesn’t use harmful chemicals like traditional dry cleaners and that its organic cleaning liquids are designed to kill the bacteria that creates odors. The machine, which is equipped with wheels for easy mobility, uses approximately 7x less water and 3x less electricity than traditional laundering methods.
The Presso machine plugs into a 220V outlet, while utilizing a standard washing machine box with drainage and standard hose fittings. The machine is also fully connected for remote tracking and maintenance.
The device has the following dimensions:
- Height: 6.09-feet
- Width: 4.35-feet
- Depth: 1.54-feet
Looking to the Future
For now, Presso remains focused on the hotel, apartment and laundromat market, while continues to produce and launch more machines. The company, which has several dozen machines in rotation, hopes to start launching a large run of about 10,000 machines by the beginning of 2027.
Presso recently announced a strategic collaboration with WASH Multifamily Laundry Services, LLC. WASH is the second-largest US and largest Canadian provider of route-based laundry services to multifamily apartments and universities.