Failed 2016

    Washio

    On-demand laundry pickup is a feature of a laundry service, not a venture-scale business.

    Founded → Closed

    2013 → 2016

    Funding Raised

    $17M

    Industry

    On-demand/Laundry

    Country

    USA

    IdeaProof AI Failure Score

    55/100
    Market Fit RiskBurn Rate RiskFounder Risk
    Market Fit Risk
    40
    Burn Rate Risk
    75
    Founder Risk
    15

    Full Analysis

    Washio picked up your dirty laundry, cleaned it, and returned it — all via an app. Despite celebrity investors including Ashton Kutcher, the unit economics never worked. Each pickup and delivery required a driver making a dedicated trip for a $20-30 order. The company burned through $17M and shut down in 2016.

    Could This Failure Have Been Prevented?

    IdeaProof's AI validates market demand, competitive positioning, and business model viability in minutes — catching the exact issues that sank Washio.