Your Campus: Transforming dormitory life with vending machines, laundromats
The vending machines and laundromats, operated through an IoT-based app, are present in 95 halls and premises of different public universities. The company has more ideas in the pipeline
After a day filled with classes, library sessions, and tuitions, when Kamrunnahar Sathi comes back to Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall at Dhaka University, she has little energy to prepare dinner.
But she has to anyway, because "the food quality of hall canteens is extremely poor." Some days, she has to do laundry afterwards - an even more tiring task. And Sathi isn't alone, her fellow hallmates have a similar routine.
However, things have gotten better for them because now, they have washing machines. What's more, it's not as expensive as you might think.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
As Sathi said, "A sigh of relief escapes me every time I use these washing machines. The nominal service charge hardly makes a dent in our pockets."
The alternative is giving clothes to the cleaning staff for washing. "I can use the machine for Tk30, though the cost has slightly increased these days. If I gave the khalas (cleaning staff) Tk30 for washing 10 pieces of clothes, it would be inhumane."
On the other side of the campus, Tanvir Rana, a third-year student who resides at Sir A F Rahman Hall, pulls a few all-nighters for his exams. Late at night, when the small shops in the hall are closed, he goes down to the lobby where there is a vending machine with snacks that fuel him to function.
"It is a lifesaver," he said. At Dhaka University, almost all residential halls now have these vending machines, which students use mostly at odd hours.
And behind these innovative and much-needed solutions is Your Campus, an IoT-based app dedicated to making students' lives easier, with a presence in 95 residential halls in different public universities.
How does Your Campus work?
Your Campus, a concern of Get Aid Ltd, is a campus centred service providing startup. Now they have 138 snack & beverage vending machines covering over 95 university halls and premises. And having launched the washing machine initiative on 5 December last year, they have extended it to 147, reaching 71 halls across various public universities.
"The number is increasing every week and we are aiming to cover all public universities by the end of October 2023," said Md Miljer Rahman Machel, founder and CEO of Your Campus.
Users can download the YOUR Campus app and register. Then they can schedule their washing slots on the app.
For a single use, it costs Tk50. But it has other options like if one buys 20 cycles, s/he can buy it for Tk600 at Tk30 per wash. The most popular bundle is five cycles, which costs Tk200, meaning each cycle costs Tk40.
And it's all cashless. Students can pay through either bKash or Nagad. Tanjim Noman, another student of Shahidullah Hall, said Tk50 can be a bit pricey for some students.
However, Nubah Khan Mumu of Bangamata Hall suggested, "A group of roommates can opt for other packages for a better price. For example, if they buy 10 wash cycles, each wash costs only Tk35, and a 20-wash bundle costs even less."
One student said that he did not find the app on Apple's app store. "We don't have the iOS version yet. We are working on that and hoping to launch it very soon," assured Md Istiak Uddin, co-founder and CRO of Your Campus.
Md Fahim from Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall sums up the advantages and disadvantages of the washing machine which other students agreed to. According to him, the advantages of using a washing machine are numerous.
Firstly, it significantly reduces the hassle of washing clothes and saves time. Moreover, the clothes come out from the machine approximately 80% dry. The machine's versatility allows for the simultaneous washing of various types of clothes. The app enables users to book, pay for, and schedule washing machine cycles.
More importantly, it sends notifications before and after each wash cycle. This not only streamlines the process but also lessens the strain on water pressure in shared washrooms.
However, the disadvantages are mostly technical. For example, technical failures like issues with the network or jammed filters can lead to machine shutdowns for three to five hours. In case of major technical issues, it might take a maximum of two to three days to get them fixed.
"I found the QR code sticker was gone, so I called them. It was 12 am and I was surprised to see that they responded and fixed the issue the next day. I am happy with the service so far," said Wasib Mahmud Siam from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall at Jahangirnagar University.
Students are mostly happy about the washing machines but they seem to expect more from the vending machines, such as more variety of snack items.
With a focus on user experience, the app facilitates quicker vending machine purchases, while the washing machine service is entirely app-based. "In the coming months, we plan to offer app-based discounts on MRP for students, aiming to build a comprehensive ecosystem," said Md Shihab Ahmed, another co-founder.
The back story
Your Campus is a pandemic-born idea. Back in 2020, during the early days of March, Miljer Machel accompanied his father to a hospital in Dhanmondi.
He asked for some juice and water. It took Miljer an agonising 10 to 15 minutes to get them. "I realised that it would be better if we had vending machines," said Miljer.
At the time, he was working in supply chain management at a private company. He proposed the idea of a vending machine and his persistence paid off as his boss finally endorsed and funded the project. "On 11 February 2021, the first vending machine under the name 'SnacKeeper' was installed at Shimanto Square," recalled Miljer.
Later, he realised that university campuses need these the most, which ultimately laid the foundation for Your Campus. He quit his job and with four other co-founders, launched Your Campus with more plans in the pipeline.
"In February 2022, we ventured into university operations, starting with Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall at Dhaka University. University officials embraced our proposal wholeheartedly," he said.
Student bodies also provided strong support. Mobile wallets like bKash and Nagad were instrumental in sustaining their operations, reflecting society's growing reliance on digital payments.
"Later we came up with the washing machine idea. One of our co-founders, Kazi Elias, an IoT specialist, explored its feasibility. Through research and development, we optimised the solution's cost, ultimately opting for Haier washing machines due to their effectiveness and affordability," he added.
Your Campus's efforts are not going unrecognised. It has achieved recognition by being ranked among the top 52 startups, among over thousands, in the recently held Bangabandhu Innovation Grant (BIG) 2023. Notably, the IoT-based app had previously achieved a top 11 ranking in the R-Ventures 3.0 competition.
The future
They are about to launch another vending machine with non-food items like soap, detergent, shampoo, etc. Beyond these services, Your Campus aims to empower students through Your Career. This initiative focuses on career development, mentorship, networking, job fairs, seminars, and competitions.
"Looking ahead, we aspire for Your Campus to serve every college and university student in the country, building upon our current user base of 40,000 students," said Rakibul Hassan Shihab, the other co-founder and COO.
"Also, through 'Your Offers', we are planning to provide discounted products to students, making them accessible at rates lower than market prices," he added.
In that case, the system will include a purchase restriction to prevent misuse. And they will refrain from taking advance payments. When asked about their smart printers plan, Miljer said, "Although smart printers were considered, we recognised the high risk involved, leading us to prioritise other ventures."
