MakeSpace Labs Inc., a startup business specializing in valet-style self-storage in New York City, has expanded local service to Chicago and will begin serving Washington, D.C., in April. The company offers door-to-door service for customers’ stored goods and creates a visual catalog of each box stored in its warehouse. Customers have access to the catalog through a cloud-based platform, which allows them to keep track of their items and request them when desired.
The expansion comes four months after the company hired Toby Ciottone as vice president of growth, strategy and expansion. Based in Chicago, Ciottone was tasked with scaling the company’s services to markets outside of New York.
“We are the clear leader in the New York City market, and this year we are focused on the expansion of that service into other urban cities that share some of the same traits, particularly the lack of space and time,” said Sam Rosen, CEO. “We are now poised to take on and transform an entire industry, one that has never truly changed. Chicago and D.C. seemed like the logical next markets to do just that.”
MakeSpace will compete with international valet-storage operator SpaceWays in Chicago. SpaceWays began last year in London and has since expanded service to Chicago, Paris, Toronto and Sydney.
In addition to providing local service, MakeSpace has partnered with UPS to offer its Air service, which enables customers to have boxes shipped to their door or picked up at another destination. Launched last year, the offering is targeted at customers traveling outside their local area to receive items at competitive rates.
MakeSpace plans to offer local storage and delivery services in other major metropolitan markets. It has raised $10.1 million in funding, including investments from actor Ashton Kutcher and NBA star Carmelo Anthony, according to a company press release. The company raised $8 million in venture capital last May.
