Cents

Cents

Laundromat operations software with pickup

About Cents

Simplify's Rating
Why Cents is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Enterprise Software

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series C

Total Funding

$188.7M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2019

Overview

Cents builds software for laundromats that helps owners run their business more smoothly. It provides a single platform that includes pickup and delivery management (so laundromats don’t need to hire drivers or buy extra insurance), and data consolidation so all business information is easy to access in one place. The product is designed with a simple, user-friendly interface and is backed by a dedicated customer support team. The subscription or usage-based platform aims to help laundromats save money, grow their service offerings, and increase overall business volume. What sets Cents apart is its explicit focus on laundromat operations, the ability to handle pickup and delivery without requiring own drivers, and strong customer success support, which together can lead to measurable growth (reported 20% increase in volume). The goal is to empower laundromat owners to run more efficiently, expand services, and scale their business.

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • $140M Series C from Sumeru fuels AI suite and hardware expansion.
  • Processes $1B payments across 4,500 locations with 99% retention.
  • Laundroworks acquisition enables advanced machine payments for all types.

What critics are saying

  • Geelus undercuts with cheaper payments, eroding Cents' market share.
  • Xplor Spot steals multi-family contracts via apartment integrations.
  • Pension fund's $500M lawsuit exposes payment flaws, sparking client exodus.

What makes Cents unique

  • Cents integrates software, proprietary hardware, and payments exclusively for laundromats.
  • Pickup and delivery boosts business volume by 20% without owner drivers.
  • AI-native tools like Cents Assist provide dedicated laundry call center support.

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Funding

Total Funding

$188.7M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

4 Rounds

Series C funding is usually for startups that are doing well and are looking for more money to fuel major growth, such as acquiring other companies, expanding into global markets, or launching new product lines. Investors typically include larger venture capital firms and private equity.
Series C Funding Comparison
Above Average

Industry standards

$50M
$50M
Medium
$62M
SeatGeek
$100M
Oura
$140M
Cents

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Remote Work Options

Paid Holidays

401(k) Company Match

Work-from-home and commuter benefits

Employee Discounts

Mental Health Support

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-3%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
V3 Media
Mar 28th, 2026
Cents raises $140 million from Sumeru Equity Partners to support and drive innovation for laundry SMBs.

Cents raises $140 million from Sumeru Equity Partners to support and drive innovation for laundry SMBs. Series C Funding Represents the Largest Software Investment Ever Made in the Vertical and Positions Cents as the Defining Platform, Elevating the Laundry Vertical and the Small Business Owners Who Power It /PRNewswire/ - Cents, the only fully integrated software, hardware, and payments technology platform built for the laundry industry, today announced the close of a $140 million Series C round led by Sumeru Equity Partners ("Sumeru") with additional investment from Series B lead Camber Creek. The raise marks the largest single software investment in the laundry vertical to date and accelerates Cents' mission to bring modern technology to one of America's most enduring and underserved small business sectors. With over 90,000 retail laundry businesses and hundreds of thousands of laundry rooms in multi-family communities across the U.S., the laundry services industry is an essential everyday service poised for technological transformation. The Cents platform combines AI-native business management software, proprietary hardware, and integrated payments to give business owners powerful tools to operate, scale, and deliver best-in-class experiences for their customers. "Owning a laundry business is one of the purest expressions of the American entrepreneurial dream, and provides an essential service woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. These entrepreneurs - from first-generation owners to multi-unit operators, community anchors to tech-driven innovators - all share the same relentless drive," said Alex Jekowsky, Co-Founder & CEO of Cents. "I couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Sumeru to invest deeper in our industry and to bring a level of innovation, support, and service that these operators deserve." Sumeru and Camber Creek's investment will fuel the company's next phase of growth, including accelerating the Cents AI-powered product suite, deepening investments in support and customer experience, expanding its product line for laundromats and dry cleaners, and doubling down on its partnership with route operators and equipment distributors. The raise also positions Cents to further invest in new and innovative payment hardware infrastructure - a proprietary technology that will create greater affordability and accessibility to modernized payment experiences for customers. "Alex, Gilli, and the Cents team have built the go-to operating system for modern laundry and garment care," said Sumeru Growth Partner Chris Litster and Principal Nathan Stanley. "This is a critical, global industry that has benefited from Cents' innovation in digitizing operations and payments technology so operators can run their businesses better around the clock. Cents took an operator-first mindset and invested heavily to build its category-defining product suite - enabling laundry and garment care SMBs to grow, manage, and understand their businesses like never before. We are excited to partner with the company and look forward to seeing what the team builds next for this growing customer base." Cents will also welcome Sumeru Managing Partner & Co-Founder Sanjeet Mitra to the board of directors as part of the investment. About Cents Cents is the leading all-in-one platform to manage your laundry business, providing everything owners and operators need to grow, manage, and understand their business. Trusted by over 4,500 laundromat locations that process $1 billion in payments annually, Cents offers comprehensive tools for point-of-sale systems, on-machine payments, marketing automation, AI customer service, pickup & delivery services, and more. Designed for laundromats, dry cleaners, and multi-family operations, Cents is committed to driving industry success through innovative technology and strong community support. About Sumeru Equity Partners Sumeru Equity Partners ("Sumeru") provides growth capital at the intersection of people and innovative technology. Sumeru seeks to embolden innovative founders and management teams with capital and scaling partnership. Sumeru has invested over $3 billion in more than fifty platforms and add-on investments across enterprise and vertical technology, data analytics, education technology, infrastructure software and cybersecurity. The firm typically invests in companies throughout North America and Europe. For more information, please visit sumeruequity.com or follow the firm on LinkedIn. Media Contact: Alex Edel [emailprotected] SOURCE Cents

Securities and Exchange Commission
Mar 26th, 2026
SEC FORM D

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete.The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete.

Securities and Exchange Commission
Mar 26th, 2026
SEC FORM D

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete.The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete.

TechStartups.com
Mar 26th, 2026
Laundry tech startup Cents raises $140M in funding to digitize laundromats with ai-powered software and payments.

Laundry tech startup Cents raises $140M in funding to digitize laundromats with ai-powered software and payments. Laundry is one of those businesses most people never think about - until the machines stop working or the payment system fails. Behind the scenes, tens of thousands of small operators keep the industry running, often with outdated tools and fragmented systems. That's the gap Cents is going after. The laundry tech startup has raised $140 million in Series C funding, led by Sumeru Equity Partners, with participation from Camber Creek. The round is the largest single software investment in the laundry space to date, signaling rising investor interest in modernizing a sector long overlooked. Cents raises $140M Series C to build the operating system for the modern laundry business. Cents is positioning itself as the operating system for laundromats and garment-care businesses. Its platform brings together business management software, payment processing, and in-store hardware into one system. For owners, that means fewer disconnected tools and more visibility into daily operations, from machine usage to customer transactions. The opportunity is larger than it may appear at first glance. The U.S. alone has more than 90,000 retail laundry businesses, along with hundreds of thousands of laundry rooms in apartment buildings and shared housing. Many still rely on coin-based systems or legacy setups that leave little room for growth or efficiency. Cents is betting that a unified platform can change that. At the center of the company's approach is its AI-driven software layer, paired with proprietary payment hardware installed directly on machines. The goal is simple: give operators a clearer picture of how their business is performing and help them run it with fewer headaches. Features range from point-of-sale systems and automated customer messaging to pickup and delivery management. "Owning a laundry business is one of the purest expressions of the American entrepreneurial dream, and provides an essential service woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. These entrepreneurs - from first-generation owners to multi-unit operators, community anchors to tech-driven innovators - all share the same relentless drive," said Alex Jekowsky, Co-Founder & CEO of Cents. "I couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Sumeru to invest deeper in our industry and to bring a level of innovation, support, and service that these operators deserve." Investors see Cents as more than a niche software provider. In a statement, Sumeru Growth Partner Chris Litster and Principal Nathan Stanley highlighted the company's operator-first approach and its push to digitize operations and payments across the laundry and garment care market. The new funding will push Cents into its next phase. The company plans to expand its AI product suite, build out more payment hardware, and grow its reach across laundromats, dry cleaners, and route-based operators. It is also increasing investment in customer support, an area that matters deeply in a business where downtime can quickly translate into lost revenue. As part of the deal, Sumeru Managing Partner and Co-Founder Sanjeet Mitra will join Cents' board, adding another layer of oversight as the company scales. Cents says its platform is already used by more than 4,500 locations, processing around $1 billion in payments each year. That early traction gives the company a foothold in a market that has resisted change for decades. For an industry built on routine, the shift is starting to take shape. What used to run on coins and manual tracking is moving toward connected systems, digital payments, and real-time data. Cents is positioning itself right at that transition point, aiming to bring a familiar business into a new era - without changing the core service people rely on every week.

PR Newswire
Mar 26th, 2026
Cents raises $140M Series C from Sumeru Equity Partners in largest-ever laundry software investment

Cents, a software, hardware and payments platform for the laundry industry, has raised $140 million in a Series C round led by Sumeru Equity Partners, with participation from existing investor Camber Creek. The funding represents the largest software investment ever made in the laundry vertical. The company serves over 4,500 laundromat locations processing $1 billion in payments annually. Its platform combines AI-native business management software, proprietary hardware and integrated payments for retail laundry businesses and multi-family laundry rooms across the US. The funds will accelerate product development, expand offerings for laundromats and dry cleaners, and enhance payment hardware infrastructure. Sumeru Managing Partner Sanjeet Mitra will join Cents' board of directors as part of the investment.

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