Vijen Patel
Entrepreneur and co-founder of Pressbox (later rebranded as Tide Cleaners after acquisition by Procter & Gamble); discussed building a locker-based dry-cleaning business, unit economics, scaling, and founding the 81 Collection VC fund focused on 'boring' businesses.
Best podcasts with Vijen Patel
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Oct 6, 2025 • 1h 6min
Pressbox and Tide Cleaners: Vijen Patel. The $1.99 Gamble That Built a National Brand
Vijen Patel, co-founder of Pressbox (now Tide Cleaners), shares his journey from private equity to launching a locker-based dry-cleaning service. He discusses how a $1.99 price point exposed a gap in the market, leading to a scalable business model. Vijen highlights the importance of unit economics, their low-tech approach, and how they achieved a 98% customer retention goal. After selling to Procter & Gamble, he founded The 81 Collection, investing in 'boring' businesses that power the economy.
Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 1min
81% of America is Underfunded | Vijen Patel & Grady Buchanan | Superclusters | S5PSE1
Vijen Patel, an entrepreneur and investor behind The 81 Collection, and Grady Buchanan, a venture capital strategist with NVNG, dive deep into America’s investment landscape. They discuss how 81% of the economy remains underfunded and emphasize the need for venture capital to tackle social issues like housing and food insecurity. The duo reflects on their personal journeys, the significance of community engagement in finance, and innovative investment strategies aimed at revitalizing local businesses in the Midwest.
