Start-up Spotlight: Storage app Clutter wants to clean up your life
Nowadays when tech companies say they specialize in storage, we assume they’re talking about cloud computing.
But West Los Angeles start-up Clutter deals with the real, physical mess in your life -- you know, clothes you never wear, old high school yearbooks, childhood “art” projects, the like.
The concept is simple: Download Clutter’s free iPhone app and arrange to have the company’s water-resistant reusable plastic storage boxes delivered for free to your doorstep. You can get up to five free boxes at a time.
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Load the boxes with your stuff, take photos through the app to keep a visual inventory and send the boxes away to be stored for $10 a month per box. Each box is 22 inches by 18.5 inches by 16.8 inches, or big enough to hold 16 pairs of men’s shoes or 75 large T-shirts.
Most items are OK to toss in Clutter’s boxes, except for liquids, illegal substances, perishables and hazardous materials.
When you want your stuff back, Clutter charges a $15 flat fee per trip.
Clutter was founded by Brian Thomas, a first-time entrepreneur who said he wanted to save people the hassle of lugging their stuff to a storage facility.
“We are giving people a simple storage solution that is not only easy and convenient, but also helps them to remember all the cool things they have safely locked away,” he said.
For security reasons, the company doesn’t disclose exactly where the boxes are taken, but it says the L.A. warehouse is a weatherproof facility that is gated and monitored 24/7. Clutter also said it puts anti-tamper security stickers on customers’ boxes to ensure they remain sealed and safe, and that it offers insurance against theft and loss.
The service is currently only available in L.A.
Clutter’s chairman is serial entrepreneur Ari Mir, who has co-founded a handful of start-ups including universal loyalty currency firm Pocket Change and ad network GumGum.
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