Cents Raises $140M to Build the Operating System for the $60B Laundry Industry

The vertical SaaS platform aims to modernize the fragmented laundry industry with an all-in-one software, hardware, and payments solution.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 1:27pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Cents, a vertical SaaS platform for the laundry industry, has raised $140 million in Series C funding led by Sumeru Equity Partners. The company provides an integrated software, hardware, and payments platform for laundromat owners, dry cleaners, and multi-family housing operators, offering tools like point-of-sale systems, on-machine payments, marketing automation, AI-powered customer service, pickup and delivery management, dynamic pricing, and business intelligence. Cents has established itself as the leading operating system for the largely underserved $60 billion laundry services industry in the U.S.

Why it matters

The laundry industry has remained one of the last major service sectors to lack modern technology infrastructure, with most operators still relying on fragmented, outdated systems. Cents' comprehensive platform aims to digitize and streamline operations for these small businesses, giving them access to AI-powered tools and data insights that were previously out of reach.

The details

Cents was founded in 2021 by Alex Jekowsky, who saw an opportunity to bring vertical SaaS to the laundry industry after learning about the lack of sophisticated software and payment systems available to operators. The company now serves over 4,500 locations, processing $1 billion in payments annually with a 99% customer retention rate. The new $140 million Series C funding will allow Cents to further develop its AI-powered product suite, expand into the dry cleaning market, invest in new hardware infrastructure, and bolster its customer support.

  • Cents was founded in 2021.
  • The company closed a $140 million Series C round in April 2026.

The players

Cents

A vertical SaaS platform providing an integrated software, hardware, and payments solution for the laundry industry.

Alex Jekowsky

The founder and CEO of Cents, who previously started and sold a company while still in college.

Sumeru Equity Partners

The lead investor in Cents' $140 million Series C funding round.

Camber Creek

A continuing investor in Cents, having led the company's previous Series B round.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We just closed a $140M Series C round led by Sumeru Equity Partners, with continued investment from Camber Creek, who led our Series B. This is the largest single tech investment ever made in the laundry vertical, and it's a signal to the market that this space is serious.”

— Alex Jekowsky, Cofounder and CEO, Cents

“Investors have seen this playbook before in other industries, but the dynamics of this industry were so unique that they realized that something special could be done. Every one of our investors knows that our DNA as a company is to take an operator-first mindset and operate in a product-led growth strategy.”

— Alex Jekowsky, Cofounder and CEO, Cents

What’s next

Cents plans to use the new funding to deepen its AI-powered product suite, expand its offering for dry cleaners, invest in new payment hardware infrastructure, and double down on partnerships with route operators and equipment distributors.

The takeaway

Cents' success in raising a $140 million Series C round signals the growing recognition of the laundry industry as a ripe target for technological transformation. By providing an all-in-one software, hardware, and payments platform tailored to the unique needs of laundromat owners, dry cleaners, and multi-family housing operators, Cents is poised to become the operating system of record for this historically underserved but essential small business vertical.