Pressbox

Pressbox was a laundry and dry-cleaning service founded by Vijen Patel and Drew McKenna at the University of Notre Dame. The company started as a subscription model that picked up, washed, and delivered clothes for college students, with an original price point of just 99 cents. That dorm-room idea grew into a multi-state brand that operated on dozens of campuses across the United States, raising millions in venture capital and building a real physical-goods operation from the ground up.

What made Pressbox different from a typical app-based startup was that it had to manage real estate, equipment, logistics, and staffing at every location. Patel and McKenna learned that scaling a physical service required relentless operational discipline. Each new campus was a fresh buildout — leases, washers and dryers, delivery routes, and customer support. The model worked because students valued convenience above all else, and the subscription format created predictable recurring revenue.

In 2016, Procter & Gamble acquired Pressbox and folded the business into its Tide division. The service was rebranded as Tide Cleaners, giving Pressbox access to P&G's marketing muscle and retail footprint. Patel describes the acquisition as both a validation of the business model and a major emotional milestone. He had built something real, and a Fortune 500 company wanted it.

After the exit, Patel did not retire. He founded The 81 Collection, a venture fund focused on early-stage founders. His experience as an operator informs his investing philosophy: he looks for founders who understand the grind of building physical businesses and who can balance growth with execution. Patel's journey from Notre Dame dorm room to P&G acquisition and then to venture capital is a masterclass in building, selling, and reinvesting in the next generation of entrepreneurs.