CLEANR
CLEANR designs and sells mechanical microplastic filtration systems for residential and commercial washing machines, using proprietary VORTX vortex technology to capture over 90% of microplastics down to 50 microns, sold DTC and through university and commercial laundry partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersCleveland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CLEANR does
CLEANR is a US-based (Cleveland, Ohio) for-profit company that designs, manufactures, and sells mechanical microplastic filtration systems for residential and commercial washing machines. The company's flagship product, the CLEANR for Washing Machines filter, uses a proprietary, patent-pending "VORTX" vortex filtration technology inspired by manta ray and basking shark gill structures. The system is installed externally on a washing machine's drain hose and is claimed to capture over 90% of microplastics as small as 50 microns (Shaw Institute certified at 90%, 97%, and 98% across three trials). A Bluetooth/Wi-Fi-connected mobile app (iOS/Android) provides real-time capture monitoring, maintenance reminders, and direct consumable reordering, and an LED status indicator is built into the unit.
CLEANR operates a razor-and-blade business model: the filter unit is sold as a one-time hardware purchase ($229 US / €200 EU, down from a $350/€300 list price) bundled with an initial 50 disposable CLEANR Pods, while ongoing revenue comes from replacement pods ($29.99 for 20 pods, replaced roughly every five loads) and a $24 mail-back Pod Collection Box for recycling. Distribution is omnichannel: a Shopify-powered DTC e-commerce site serves environmentally conscious consumers, while B2B channels serve university sustainability programs (CWRU deployed 100 units across 23 dorms; pilots at University of Akron and University of South Alabama) and commercial laundry operators via a partnership with Scandinavian Water Technology AB. The company also sells a CLEANR for Septic variant for homes with septic and well water systems.
The firm was founded by Case Western Reserve University alumni, including CEO Max Pennington, CTO David Dillman, and Executive Chairman Terry Moore (with Chip Miller as COO), and operates from the Sears think[box] innovation center at CWRU. It is privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors in the source data. The company has accumulated industry recognition including six Best of IFA 2023 awards, Forbes 30 Under 30 for the founders, and a CES Innovation Awards 2026 Honoree designation in the Home Appliances category.
CLEANR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CLEANR
- Legal name
- CLEANR
- Website
- https://cleanr.life
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CLEANR designs and sells mechanical microplastic filtration systems for residential and commercial washing machines, using proprietary VORTX vortex technology to capture over 90% of microplastics down to 50 microns, sold DTC and through university and commercial laundry partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CLEANR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cleveland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CLEANR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales - Filter Unit: One-time purchase of the CLEANR filter unit which connects to washing machine drain hose. Filter unit is sold at $229 (US) or €200 (EU) as a complete package including 50 pods.
- Consumables - CLEANR Pods: Recurring revenue from disposable filter pods that capture microplastics. Pods should be replaced every 5 loads. Available as one-time purchase ($29.99 for 20 pods) or through subscription/automatic replenishment via Shopify.
- Pod Collection and Recycling Service: Optional recycling service where customers send used pods back to CLEANR for proper disposal. Available at $24 for a reusable box that holds 20-25 pods, including postage.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Filter + Year of Pods Package - $229 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Filter + Year of Pods Package - €200 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Refill Pods - $29.99 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pod Collection Box - $24 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
CLEANR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CLEANR manufactures and sells an external mechanical microplastic filtration system that attaches to a washing machine's drain hose to capture over 90% of microplastic fibers from laundry wastewater before discharge. The core product is a hardware filter unit sold with consumable disposable CLEANR Pods, supplemented by a paid pod recycling mail-back service, a septic-system filter variant, a commercial laundry filtration solution delivered through partners, and a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi companion mobile app for monitoring and maintenance.
Product overview
CLEANR offers a product portfolio centered on its core flagship product, the CLEANR for Washing Machines microplastic filter, which uses proprietary VORTX filtration technology. The ecosystem includes consumable CLEANR Pods (replacement filter units), a Pod Recycling Program for sustainable disposal, and a companion CLEANR App for smart monitoring. The company has expanded into related offerings including CLEANR for Septic systems and Commercial Laundry Filtration through partnerships, creating a comprehensive platform approach to microplastic filtration across residential and commercial applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CLEANR for Washing Machines External microplastic filtration system for residential washing machines that captures over 90% of microplastics as small as 50 microns using patent-pending VORTX vortex filtration technology. Connects to any washing machine's drain hose, installs in approximately 15 minutes without tools, and pairs with a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi mobile app for monitoring and maintenance.
- CLEANR Pods Disposable microplastic capture units for the CLEANR filter. Each pod is replaced every five loads (approximately weekly), sold in boxes of 10 or 20, and available as a one-time purchase or as an automatic subscription replenishment.
- CLEANR Pod Recycling Program Mail-back recycling service that allows customers to return used CLEANR Pods for safe disposal. Customers purchase a $24 reusable collection box (holds 20-25 used pods, postage included) and ship the pods back to CLEANR for proper disposal, closing the loop on captured microplastics.
- CLEANR for Septic Variant of the CLEANR filter designed for homes with septic systems and well water, addressing how microplastics can clog septic systems and impact well water quality.
- CLEANR Commercial Laundry Filtration Extended filtration solution for commercial laundry applications, deployed through CLEANR's partnership with Scandinavian Water Technology AB. Uses CLEANR's VORTX technology to remove over 90% of microplastics from commercial-scale laundry wastewater for hotels, hospitals, gyms and other facilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90%+ microplastic removal efficiency certified by Shaw Institute
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CLEANR
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CLEANR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CLEANR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CLEANR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PlanetCare: Slovenia-based company that sells external microplastic filters for washing machines, the closest direct competitor to CLEANR's core product. Competes head-to-head on the same problem (laundry microplastics), the same customer (environmentally-conscious consumers), and a similar consumables-based model.
- Sealutions: German company developing microplastic filtration technology for washing machines and household applications. Closely comparable to CLEANR on technology approach and target use case, competing for the same European consumer and commercial laundry accounts.
- Scandinavian Water Technology AB: Swedish water technology company and CLEANR's existing commercial laundry partner. Comparable as a channel into commercial laundry operators and as a fellow Nordic player in water treatment, addressing the same B2B microplastic filtration opportunity.
Broad incumbents
- LIXIL Group: Global water technology and housing products company (GROHE, American Standard, INAX). Comparable as a broader water-tech incumbent with portfolio brands that could expand into microplastic filtration or partner with CLEANR.
- Brita: Established consumer water filtration brand (now owned by Clorox) with strong retail distribution. Comparable as a household name in residential filtration, with potential overlap in channel relationships and brand-building approach for water-quality products.
- Electrolux: Global washing machine OEM with stated sustainability initiatives around microplastics and resource efficiency. Represents both a potential OEM partner opportunity and a structural threat if the company integrates microplastic filtration into its machines as a standard feature.
- Robert Bosch (BSH Hausgeräte): European washing machine market leader through Bosch, Siemens, and other brands. Comparable as a potential OEM licensor or competitor with the engineering scale to integrate filtration into appliance platforms.
- LG Electronics: Major global washing machine manufacturer with active ESG and water-efficiency programs. A potential OEM partner that could embed CLEANR's technology, or a competitor that could develop proprietary microplastic filtration at scale.
Emerging players
- Guppy Friend: Microfiber-catching laundry bag designed to capture synthetic fibers during washing. Competes with CLEANR for the same 'filter your laundry' consumer mindset, but with a different delivery mechanism (passive bag vs. active filtration device) and at a lower price point.
- Xeros Technologies: Commercial laundry technology company focused on sustainable, low-water washing processes. Comparable in addressing the commercial laundry market with environmental impact benefits, and a potential adjacent partner or competitor for commercial-scale filtration deployments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CLEANR social profiles
Digital presenceCLEANR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
CLEANR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CLEANR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
CLEANR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CLEANR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CLEANR
What does CLEANR do?
CLEANR manufactures and sells an external mechanical microplastic filtration system that attaches to a washing machine's drain hose to capture over 90% of microplastic fibers from laundry wastewater before discharge. The core product is a hardware filter unit sold with consumable disposable CLEANR Pods, supplemented by a paid pod recycling mail-back service, a septic-system filter variant, a commercial laundry filtration solution delivered through partners, and a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi companion mobile app for monitoring and maintenance.
Is CLEANR a public or private company?
CLEANR is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CLEANR founded?
CLEANR was founded in 2023. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CLEANR based?
CLEANR is headquartered in Cleveland, United States, in the North America region.
How does CLEANR make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales - Filter Unit is the primary driver. The others are consumables - CLEANR Pods and pod Collection and Recycling Service.
Who are CLEANR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PlanetCare, Sealutions and Scandinavian Water Technology AB. Broad incumbents are LIXIL Group, Brita, Electrolux, Robert Bosch (BSH Hausgeräte) and LG Electronics. Emerging players are Guppy Friend and Xeros Technologies.
Does CLEANR have an API?
No public API is recorded for CLEANR.