Cents
Cents is a vertically integrated SaaS, hardware, and payments platform purpose-built for the U.S. laundry industry. Its Cents OS unifies POS, business management, machine payments, pickup-and-delivery, AI customer service, and marketing for over 4,500 laundromat, dry cleaner, and multi-family operators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cents does
Cents (operated by Make Cents Technologies Incorporated, a Delaware corporation) is a vertically integrated software, hardware, and payments platform purpose-built for the U.S. laundry industry. Founded in 2019 and headquartered at 200 Varick Street in New York, Cents serves over 4,500 laundromat locations through a "Cents OS" unified platform that combines business management, point-of-sale, integrated payments, machine hardware integration, dispatch, marketing automation, AI-powered customer service, and customer-facing websites. The company addresses a fragmented industry of more than 90,000 retail laundry businesses plus hundreds of thousands of multi-family laundry rooms, processing approximately $1 billion in annual payments volume across its customer base.
Cents' product suite is organized around the Cents Business Manager (the central operations hub) and includes Cents POS for in-store transactions, Cents Connect and the acquired Laundroworks loyalty-card system with The Penny card reader for on-machine cashless payments, Cents Dispatch for pickup-and-delivery operations with geofenced route optimization, Cents Assist as an industry-first AI-powered call center, Cents Accelerate for marketing automation and reputation management, plus modules for memberships, commercial invoicing, auto-updating websites, and a laundry-specific insurance offering. Cents generates revenue primarily through annual SaaS subscriptions (quote-based, non-refundable, with mid-contract cancellation fees equal to 50% of remaining contract value), sale of proprietary payment hardware, integrated payment processing fees on platform transactions, and onboarding and professional services.
Cents' go-to-market is sales-led with a "Schedule a Demo" funnel targeting SMB and mid-market laundromat, dry cleaner, and multi-family operators in the U.S., supplemented by self-serve product pages, the industry-first Reserve with Google integration that surfaces Cents-powered operators in Google Search and Maps at no incremental advertising cost, and the Laundroworks-acquired equipment-distributor footprint across 5,000+ locations in the U.S. and Canada. As of March 2026, Cents has raised approximately $217M in total equity funding across multiple rounds, including a $140M Series C led by Sumeru Equity Partners — the largest single software investment ever recorded in the laundry vertical — and a $40M Series B led by Camber Creek in August 2024. The company is founder-led, with co-founder Alexander Jekowsky serving as CEO and Gilli Cherrin as Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer.
Cents firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cents
- Legal name
- Make Cents Technologies Incorporated
- Website
- https://trycents.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Cents is a vertically integrated SaaS, hardware, and payments platform purpose-built for the U.S. laundry industry. Its Cents OS unifies POS, business management, machine payments, pickup-and-delivery, AI customer service, and marketing for over 4,500 laundromat, dry cleaner, and multi-family operators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cents industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laundry Business Management Software
- NAICS
- Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners (81231), Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners (812310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Card/App-Based Self-Service Laundromats (HSAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Laundromat + Wash-and-Fold Hybrid Locations (HSAJAAAI), Attended / Full-Service Laundromats (Self-Service + Assistance) (HSAJAAAE), 24/7 & Unattended (Automated) Laundromats (HSAJAAAD), Student / Apartment Community Laundromats (Public-Access) (HSAJAAAG), Large-Capacity / Bulk-Item Laundromats (Comforters, Oversized Loads) (HSAJAAAF), On-Demand / Express Laundry Pickup & Delivery (HSAJACAB), App-Based Laundry Marketplace / Aggregator Platforms (HSAJACAD)
Keywords
Where Cents is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cents business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription Fees: Recurring subscription revenue paid via Subscription Form on an annual (auto-renewing) basis, with fees set per the contracted feature set, number of users and additional API users; non-refundable once paid.
- Hardware Sales (Laundroworks, The Penny, payment terminals): Sale of proprietary on-machine payment hardware and reader devices (Laundroworks card readers, Penny readers) bundled with the platform to enable cashless payments at self-service machines.
- Integrated Payments Revenue: Revenue from integrated payment processing on $1B in annual laundromat transactions flowing through the Cents platform.
- Professional Services / Onboarding: Revenue from onboarding, training, transition services and additional support billed at then-current service rates as referenced in the Terms of Service and Support Services schedule.
- Round-Up Charity Pass-Through (non-revenue): Customers can opt to round up order totals, with 100% of rounded-up amounts distributed to the LaundryCares Foundation on a monthly basis; not a revenue stream but a platform feature.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual SaaS subscription (quote-based, non-refundable) with paid add-on users |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Hardware purchase (Penny readers, Laundroworks terminals) bundled with software subscription |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Integrated payments / transaction processing on laundromat GMV |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Cents product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cents (Make Cents Technologies Incorporated) provides an all-in-one SaaS platform purpose-built for the U.S. laundry industry, combining business management, point-of-sale, integrated payments, machine hardware (Laundroworks card readers, The Penny), pickup-and-delivery dispatch, AI-driven customer service (Cents Assist), marketing automation, membership management and customer-facing websites. The platform serves laundromat, dry cleaner, multi-family and commercial laundry operators across the U.S., processing roughly $1 billion in annual payments across 4,500+ locations.
Product overview
Cents (operated by Make Cents Technologies Incorporated) is a fully integrated, unified software, hardware, and payments technology platform purpose-built for the laundry industry — serving laundromats, dry cleaners, and multi-family operations. Its core is the Cents Business Manager (also referred to as Cents OS), a web-based platform that brings together all operational data and serves as the hub from which the other modules are orchestrated. Layered around this core are: Cents POS for in-store transactions; Cents Connect (Card Payment System / Machine Payment Systems) including The Penny card reader and Coin Counting & Remote Start for self-service; Cents Dispatch and Cents Delivery Network for pickup & delivery operations; Cents Assist as an AI-powered receptionist team; Cents Accelerate (Marketing Tools) including reputation management and AI-assisted review responses; Cents Memberships for recurring revenue; Online Ordering, Commercial Invoicing, and Commercial Management for B2B workflows; Inventory Tracking, Team Management, Loyalty & Promotions, and Multi Location Management as supporting modules; plus Cents Websites and Cents Insurance as additional services. The acquired Laundroworks loyalty card payment system extends the self-service hardware footprint and is integrated with Cents Assist. Cents positions itself as 'the only fully integrated software, hardware, and payments technology platform built for the laundry industry', trusted by over 4,500 laundromat locations processing $1 billion in payments annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cents POS: Point of sale platform to power laundromat operations, handling wash & fold, dry cleaning, and counter transactions.
- Cents Business Manager
Products and services
- Cents Business Manager (Cents OS)
Quantifiable outcome
- $1 billion in payments processed annually across 4,500+ laundromat locations (2026)
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Cents
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cents technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability12 records
Feature12 records
Cents partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor / referral partner, flagship, flagship strategic alliance, flagship technology integration, core community/marketing partner, core (acquisition) and minor / vertical add-on service.
- Laundromat Boostminor / referral partnerCents partnership with Laundromat Boost — Cents customers receive a discount with Laundromat Boost for marketing services they prefer to outsource.
- Laundroworks (acquisition of payments hardware business)flagshipAs part of the $40M Series B, Cents acquired Laundroworks' payments hardware business to reinforce its hardware product line for laundry businesses.
- Laundroworksflagship strategic allianceLaundroworks (family-owned technology company founded in 2008, led by CEO Oleg Stepanov) joined forces with Cents to create a true all-in-one laundromat solution by pairing Laundroworks' loyalty-card payment system (deployed in 5,000+ locations across U.S. and Canada) with Cents' full-service POS and business management. Laundroworks' full team was welcomed into Cents.
- Google (Reserve with Google)flagship technology integrationIndustry-first Reserve with Google integration — Cents is the inaugural booking provider on Reserve with Google for the laundry industry. Allows customers searching for laundry services on Google Search and Maps to book directly from a 'Book Online' button, syncing into the Cents OS dashboard at no extra advertising cost.
- LaundryCares Foundationcore community/marketing partnerPartnership to launch a charitable round-up donation program in laundromats nationwide. Cents-powered laundromat customers can round up their payment to donate to LaundryCares (501(c)(3)); 100% of proceeds go to the foundation, which provides Free Laundry Days, literacy programs and community support in laundromats.
- Starchupcore (acquisition)Cents acquired Starchup, a pickup-and-delivery, dry cleaning and POS software company. The deal enhances Cents' existing platform with new functionalities and is part of its strategy to expand pickup-and-delivery options for laundry businesses — and became part of the new Cents Dispatch service.
- Global Energyminor / vertical add-on serviceExclusive partnership with Global Energy (licensed energy broker in deregulated states and retail natural gas supplier) to help Cents customers dramatically decrease their laundromat utility bills via billing support, utility auditing, renewable solutions, budget forecasting, contract negotiations and market updates.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cents competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TouchBistro: Restaurant-focused POS + payments SaaS. Similar vertically-specialized SMB operator target and integrated payments take-rate model.
- Toast: Vertical SaaS POS + payments for restaurants. Comparable as a multi-product SaaS+hardware+payments platform targeting SMB operators; far larger scale but analogous business model.
- Block (Square): General-purpose SMB POS and payments platform. Competes for the same SMB operator wallet, and its breadth and payments scale make it the largest incumbent Cents must defend against.
- SpotOn: Vertical SaaS + payments platform for restaurants and SMBs. Closely analogous operating model with software, payments, and marketing layers sold to independent operators.
- Lightspeed Commerce: Public vertical SaaS POS provider for retail and restaurant SMBs. Comparable recurring-revenue model, integrated payments, and multi-location management features for SMBs.
Direct peers
- CleanCloud: Laundry and dry cleaning management SaaS with POS, pickup/delivery, and customer-engagement features. Direct competitor in the same niche, though smaller and with less hardware integration.
- Curbside Laundries / LinenMaster-type laundry software: Long-standing on-premise and SaaS laundry management software serving commercial and retail laundries. Represents the legacy competitive set Cents is displacing.
Emerging players
- ServiceTitan: Vertical SaaS for home/trade service businesses with deep payments and marketing automation. Analogous mid-market vertical SaaS playbook; potential expansion benchmark.
- Mindbody: SaaS for fitness/wellness SMBs with membership and recurring-revenue engine. Useful comparable for Cents' Memberships and subscription engine economics.
Others
- Reserve with Google (Google): Distribution partner rather than competitor; Reserve with Google integration is a flagship Cents channel. Listed as ecosystem/partner reference for the integration moat.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cents social profiles
Digital presenceCents financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cents leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Cents subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Cents funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors20 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cents M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cents
What does Cents do?
Cents (Make Cents Technologies Incorporated) provides an all-in-one SaaS platform purpose-built for the U.S. laundry industry, combining business management, point-of-sale, integrated payments, machine hardware (Laundroworks card readers, The Penny), pickup-and-delivery dispatch, AI-driven customer service (Cents Assist), marketing automation, membership management and customer-facing websites. The platform serves laundromat, dry cleaner, multi-family and commercial laundry operators across the U.S., processing roughly $1 billion in annual payments across 4,500+ locations.
Is Cents a public or private company?
Cents is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cents founded?
Cents was founded in 2021. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cents based?
Cents is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cents make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales (Laundroworks, The Penny, payment terminals), integrated Payments Revenue, professional Services / Onboarding and round-Up Charity Pass-Through (non-revenue).
Who are Cents's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are TouchBistro, Toast, Block (Square), SpotOn and Lightspeed Commerce. Direct peers are CleanCloud and Curbside Laundries / LinenMaster-type laundry software. Emerging players are ServiceTitan and Mindbody. Reserve with Google (Google) is listed as an others.
Does Cents have an API?
Yes. Cents offers an API (defined in its Terms of Service as "any application programming interface made available by Cents that allows Customer to integrate the Service with Customer's own systems or third-party systems"). Access requires additional authentication credentials. Customer's use is limited to connecting Customer's systems or authorized third-party systems to the Service for internal business purposes, and the API may not be used to process order or payment data outside of the Cents POS. Cents may modify, suspend, or discontinue the API at any time. Developer documentation is at www.trycents.com/terms-of-service.
What industry is Cents in?
Cents's product category is Laundry Business Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAJAAAB, Card/App-Based Self-Service Laundromats, with a secondary code of HSAJAAAI, Laundromat + Wash-and-Fold Hybrid Locations. Its NAICS code is 81231.