Build It: Chelsea Van De Kamp on Turning Rejection into Fuel and Funding for Launderd
Welcome back, fashion tech enthusiasts!
In this edition of our Build It series, we explore a story that blends grit, growth, and the realities of modern entrepreneurship. Chelsea Van De Kamp is the founder of Launderd, a California-based fashion repair and restoration platform redefining how we care for our handbags, shoes, and clothes. Her journey sheds light on what it means to build as a solo female founder, pitch in a male-dominated VC world, and scale a sustainability-driven business in one of the world’s most competitive markets. This article accompanies the Build It series on our podcast, Venturing Into Fashion Tech.
Listen to the full conversation:
Why Venture Capital Is Key to Launderd’s Growth
Launderd launched with a simple yet powerful mission: extend the life of garments through repairs and restorations. The timing couldn’t be better. The average consumer throws away 81 pounds of clothing per year, and nearly 85% of all textiles end up in landfills annually in the U.S. alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
As interest in circular fashion grows, so does demand for Launderd. But growth brings new challenges.
“As a solo founder, my biggest limitation is bandwidth,” Chelsea explains. “Raising VC or angel capital gives me the resources to build a team, scale operations, and meet customer demand —which has already brought us to capacity.”
California: The Capital of Venture Capital
With Launderd headquartered in California, Chelsea is raising capital in the most fertile ground for venture funding in the world. In 2023 alone, startups in California secured over $81 billion in venture capital—more than half of the total VC raised in the United States, and notably surpassing the entire combined VC funding across Europe, which stood at $63 billion.
But it's not just about volume — it's about who is funding and what they’re backing.
California is home to Silicon Valley, the birthplace of global innovation, and houses hundreds of active VC firms with a strong appetite for early-stage, high-growth startups. It's also the state with the highest concentration of climate tech, clean fashion, and impact-focused investors. As the 4th largest economy in the world by GDP, California has both the capital and cultural momentum to support forward-thinking ventures like Launderd.
“Being in a state that’s both innovation-forward and environmentally conscious has its advantages,” Chelsea explains. “Investors here understand the value of sustainability and the tech angle we bring.”
The region is also uniquely positioned to support consumer startups focused on behavioral change, especially in areas like fashion circularity, where the narrative intersects with California’s broader climate goals. The state leads the U.S. in green policy, carbon neutrality targets, and consumer demand for sustainable products, making it an ideal place to scale a mission-driven business like Launderd.
Additionally, Chelsea notes that the density of pitch events, startup accelerators, and female founder networks in California creates an ecosystem where even early-stage entrepreneurs can quickly build momentum. “There’s a real culture of yes here,” she adds. “Even if it’s not a fit, you’ll likely be pointed to someone else who might be.”
In short, for startups at the intersection of tech, sustainability, and consumer behavior, there’s no better place to raise than California.
Fundraising Learning Curve: The Language of VC Investors
Chelsea is the first to admit that fundraising wasn’t as glamorous as she expected. “It’s an uphill journey — one that requires reps, resilience, and a thick skin.”
Her first pitch was a disaster. “I told myself it couldn’t get worse — and from that moment, it started to get better.” From speed-dating pitch events to 60-second pitch slams with no slides allowed, every format has taught her something new. “The only way to improve is to keep showing up.”
Over time, Chelsea has learned how to speak the language of venture. “Investors want to hear about scale. About ROI. About market size.”
Instead of talking about mending clothes, she reframes the problem through a broader lens. “If we can capture just 1% of the U.S. garment care market, that represents over $77 billion in potential value,” she explains, referencing the U.S. apparel market’s estimated $77.6 billion revenue in 2024.
Crafting analogies also became essential. “Most traditional investors don’t relate to the product. So I had to get creative — like asking them, ‘Would you take your Maserati to Jiffy Lube?’” The key to speaking to investors and gaining their support is to speak their language. The metaphor worked.
Being a Solo Female Founder in Venture
Female founders continue to face uphill battles in securing capital. In 2023, just 2.8% of U.S. venture funding went to all-women founding teams.
Chelsea has experienced this disparity firsthand but also sees signs of progress. “There’s growing support for female-led rounds and more female-only VC firms emerging. It’s not perfect, but the tide is changing.”
She adds, “Female-founded companies actually return more ROI than male-led ones — a fact more investors are starting to acknowledge.” According to a 2022 BCG study, startups founded and co-founded by women generate 10% more in cumulative revenue over five years than those founded by men.
One of the unexpected hurdles in Chelsea’s fundraising journey has been pitching to traditional investors who simply don’t connect with the problem Launderd is solving, older men. Often far removed from the world of garment care or sustainability, they struggled to understand the need for a fashion repair and restoration platform, making Chelsea’s search for funding an uphill battle from the start.
The disconnect wasn’t just generational, but cultural. Launderd speaks to a consumer base that values longevity, conscious consumption, and a modern approach to wardrobe care, values that didn’t always resonate in boardrooms dominated by more conventional perspectives.
To bridge that gap, Chelsea reworked her storytelling strategy. She leaned into analogies that translated her vision into familiar territory for investors who weren’t part of her target market. For instance, comparing Launderd’s premium service to maintaining a luxury car helped reframe the business in terms of asset protection and value, concepts investors could grasp.
These moments of misunderstanding became lessons in communication. The experience highlighted the importance of knowing your audience — and finding the right ones who not only understand the pitch but believe in the product’s future.
Making Sense of Investor Feedback: Lessons for First-Time Founders
One of the most unexpected challenges? Interpreting investor feedback, especially when it’s vague.
“A lot of investors won’t give you a hard no. They want to be polite, avoid crushing your spirit,” she says. But that often leaves founders confused. “It’s a test of emotional intelligence. You learn to read between the lines, to pick up on signals — and to move on quickly when it’s not a fit.”
Chelsea’s advice to other founders starting the fundraising process is simple: pitch as much as possible.
“Even if the event is a dud, even if no one invests, you’re refining your message, building confidence, and getting closer to the right investor.” She also recommends practicing constantly — in the mirror, with friends, even with your Uber driver. “Repetition is everything.”
And when it comes to getting that elusive “yes,” Peter Jeun Ho-Tsang reminds us: “As Lady Gaga once said, there could be 100 people in a room… and all it takes is one.”
Want to Learn More and Connect?
If you're curious about the intersection of fashion, technology, and cultural storytelling, explore how Chelsea Van De Kamp and Laundred are developing tools for a more interactive and transparent future. Visit www.launderd.com/ to learn more about their latest projects and collaborations.
Connect with Chelsea Van De Kamp on LinkedIn to follow her work.
If you’re an ambitious fashion tech founder, reach out to our team to see how we can build better together.
