Online marketplace The Laundry Lady wins the ACS Labs River Rival pitch comp

Generative AI and ChatGTP have their fans, but if you really want to excite someone, enlist technology to make their daily lives easier.

And that’s just what The Laundry Lady, an online marketplace that deals with the drudgery of a washing, has done, bringing tech and innovation to a market we’re going to call household chores as a service.

Sunshine Coast-based business was recently crowned Best of the Best at the River Rival pitch competition, part of Australia’s largest emerging technology showcase, Something Tech, in Brisbane.

And in a quick follow-on from that success, the 12-year-old tech platform was named a Queensland state finalist in Telstra’s Best of Business Awards, in the Accelerating Women and Embracing Innovation categories.

CEO and founder Susan Toft founded The Laundry Lady as a solo operation in 2012. She has since grown her startup to $6 million in revenue as a gig economy platform used by more than 300 “Laundry Ladies” – and Lads – who’ve monetised their washing machines at home.

“We are supporting women (and men) in earning sustainable incomes with our recurring subscription model,” Toft said.

“We are far more than simply a laundry service. We use industry-leading tech and AI-powered platforms to match customers with Laundry Ladies and Lads in their local area. We are all about providing a consistent and reliable service while having the back-end technology and customer support in place to support growth.”

The Laundry Lady’s pickup and delivery wash, dry, fold and ironing services can be booked online right across Australia and New Zealand, having launched there last year.

Rival Rival was hosted by Brisbane startup innovation hub River City Labs, with some of Queensland’s most promising startups, including Recovery Metrics, Antiquely, Little Phil, and Heatseeker making their pitches in categories ranging from People’s Choice to product and the ultimate crown, Best of the Best.

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Empower Every Human’.

“Winning Best of the Best at River Rival is a testament to the power of technology to transform even the most traditional of industries,” Toft said.

“We’re proud to be recognised among such innovative companies. This win not only validates our business model but also highlights the potential for tech-driven solutions to make a real impact in people’s lives.”