On-demand business models have radically transformed the way people consume services, prioritizing convenience, agility and autonomy. This movement of on-demand service companies, boosted the emergence of thousands of startups around the world, especially in Latin America, which has experienced growth of 78% of this business model in the last 5 years, moving more than US$16 billion in investments. In Brazil, the format represents a growing portion of the innovation ecosystem, reflecting consumer preference for automated and affordable solutions. It is in this context that Laundry in Box, created by Grupo Hi, the holding company that manages the Laundry 60 Minutes. Inspired by this same logic, the model uses smart lockers installed in condominiums and places with high traffic collect, sanitize and return clean clothes in up to 24 hours, with the entire process being digitally monitored by the customer via the app.
It works simply: the lockers are installed in common areas of the condominiums. Residents use the Hipag app (60 Minutos’ payment solution) to pay and place their dirty clothes in the designated compartment. The laundry team collects, washes, dries, packs, and returns them in the same location, without physical contact with the customer and with full traceability of the process. The solution has already started to be implemented, and must achieve 2,000 points by the end of 2025 – being the majority in the city of São Paulo – expanding the brand’s reach through convenience, technology, and sustainability. “We’ve seen the services market evolve very rapidly, and Laundry in Box is our response to this trend. The proposal is to make laundry as simple as possible and accessible as order food or call a car. The model was developed to offer the convenience and flexibility customers expect from other apps, but with the care and quality our brand has always valued. We want to be where our customers are and meet their needs quickly, conveniently, and efficiently, in a way that makes sense in real life,” explains Isaelson Oliveira, founder and CEO of Grupo Hi.
Laundry in Box stands out for combining convenience and operational efficiency. With an average consumption of only 48 liters of water per cycle and use of inputs biodegradable, the network adopts practices that contribute to the preservation of natural resources. The service also reduces the need for production and disposal of domestic machines, in addition to using highly durable industrial equipment, which operates with low demand for labor. “What we did was adapt the logic of delivery to an essential service, but one that is still relatively undigital. People are increasingly accustomed to solving everything quickly and conveniently via their cell phones, and Laundry in Box was created precisely to meet this demand, offering a service that adapts to the modern routine, without compromising quality and sustainability”, says Isaelson Oliveira, founder and CEO of Grupo Hi.
The expansion of the solution is part of the Hi Group’s strategic plan, which ended 2024 with R$ 54 million in revenue and plans to achieve R$ 75 million by the end of 2025. The network, which already has 500 points in operation and others 300 in implementation, plans to close next year with 1,400 units in operation. Internationalization is also already underway, with an initial investment of €1 million to enter Portugal, a market that should serve as a foundation for growth in Europe. The goal is to achieve R$ 1 billion in market value and perform a IPO by 2027.
