What does it take to bring rental models into the world of large household appliances (white goods) and why might this be a key step in scaling the circular economy?

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, we’re joined by Valentin Lheureux, COO of HomeCycle, a French startup pioneering rental for washing machines, dryers, fridges, and other essential “white goods.”

Valentin shares his journey from working in retail to founding HomeCycle, motivated by the unsustainable pressures he saw in the linear economy. He explains why tackling rental for large appliances is so challenging, what customers really want, and how partnerships with manufacturers could change the industry for good.

✨ In this episode:

• Valentin explains how customer demand is shifting, with convenience, repair, and simplicity driving adoption of appliance rental.
• We discuss the unique financing challenges of white goods rental and why partnering directly with manufacturers is the “royal way” forward.
• Valentin shares how HomeCycle approaches repair and refurbishment to extend product lifetimes and make rental a compelling alternative to ownership.
• We explore the difference between B2C and B2B customers, from families to co-living spaces and student accommodation.
• Valentin reflects on why HomeCycle chose the “hard path” of big appliances and their ambition to become France’s leading rental specialist.
• We consider the tech gap and why existing rental software doesn’t yet fully support circular models.

📌 Mentioned in this episode:

HomeCycle – https://homecycle.fr

Boulanger - https://www.boulanger.com/

Jumanji 2030 - https://www.jumanji.studio/

Coolblue - https://www.coolblue.nl/en/subscriptions

👤 About our guest:

Valentin Lheureux is COO and co-founder of HomeCycle, a French startup pioneering rental models for household appliances. With a background in engineering and retail, Valentin combines deep industry experience with a passion for circular economy innovation. He and his team are working to make appliance rental a mainstream option in France — and a more sustainable alternative to ownership.

Connect with Valentin on LinkedIn: https://fr.linkedin.com/in/valentin-lheureux-b28936b5

🌍 About HappyPorch

HappyPorch is a purpose-driven software engineering consultancy focused on the circular economy.

Learn more: https://www.happyporch.com

💌 Subscribe to HappyPorch Circular News

HappyPorch Circular News is our monthly newsletter for people working in and around the circular economy and technology.

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🎙 Explore the Circular Economy Podcasts Guide

We’ve created something new: the Circular Economy Podcasts Guide. After 9 seasons of HappyPorch Radio and years of discovering other brilliant shows on circularity, we realised the podcast space needed a central, searchable place to...

What have we learned so far this season about the realities of rental and product-as-a-service models, and where does technology really make the difference?

In this special mid-season reflection of HappyPorch Radio, hosts Barry O’Kane, Jo Weston and Tandi Tuakli look back at the conversations so far, drawing out the common themes, challenges and opportunities from entrepreneurs, academics and technology providers working at the forefront of circularity.

We revisit highlights from:

• Refulfil – Danai Osmond explained how smart reverse logistics and return flows can unlock circular commerce, reduce waste, and make reuse systems viable at scale
• Baboodle – Katie Hanton-Parr explored rental models for children’s products and family life, showing how convenience and flexibility can drive adoption alongside sustainability goals
• Black Winch – Yann Toutant brought insights from circular business strategy and advisory work, highlighting the organisational and financial challenges of scaling circular models
• Supercycle – Ryan Atkins discussed tackling e-bike refurbishment and how service-based models can support both sustainable transport and profitable growth
• Circularity.fm – Patrick Hypscher highlighted product-as-a-service models and the importance of building flexible, modular tech stacks that enable iteration and long-term resilience
• Leah Pollen – emphasised that circularity alone doesn’t automatically solve issues like waste or planned obsolescence, but that models such as device leasing can align incentives and create meaningful opportunities for reuse and longer product life
• Lucy Wishart – explored how reducing “consumer work” through seamless services like delivery, setup, and return can make rental experiences more attractive, and how community engagement can amplify the reach and impact of circular models

✨ In this episode:

• We reflect on the wider context, including why global circularity has fallen to just 6.9%
• We explore insights from guests tackling logistics, finance, customer experience and design for durability
• We hear how service excellence and reducing “consumer work” are proving key to rental adoption
• We discuss the role of technology, from scrappy spreadsheets to IoT and APIs, and why flexibility matters
• We highlight the importance of ecosystems, partnerships and mindset shifts inside organisations
• We share our takeaways so far, and what we’re excited to explore in the rest of the season

📌 Mentioned in this episode:

Refulfil: https://refulfil.com | Danai Osmond on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaiosmond/

Baboodle: https://www.baboodle.co.uk | Katie Hanton-Parr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiehanton/

Black Winch: https://www.blackwinch.com | Yann Toutant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asaservicebyyanntoutant/

Supercycle: https://www.supercycle.shop | Ryan Atkins on...

How to Build Circular Commerce Infrastructure with Bob Jansen

What makes a rental or product-as-a-service (PaaS) business model work, and what role does technology really play in making that happen?

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, we’re joined by Bob Jansen, founder of Firmhouse, a recurring commerce platform enabling subscription, rental and PaaS business models. Bob shares lessons from his journey, from building MVPs as an agency to helping major brands like Philips pilot rental models and now supporting a wide range of circular and subscription businesses across Europe.

We explore the operational complexity of rental and PaaS businesses, the ongoing challenge of accessing capital, and why convenience and service are often bigger customer drivers than sustainability alone.

✨ In this episode:

• Bob reflects on the financing challenges that continue to block scale for circular rental models
• We hear examples of real-world companies using Firmhouse, from kids’ bike subscriptions to coffee and consumables
• Bob explains how hybrid models like revenue sharing are emerging to address financial barriers
• We discuss how Firmhouse is using AI to both speed up internal development and enable smarter, simpler features for users
• Bob shares how the team is building “digital teammates” that help customers operate more efficiently and with fewer resources
• We explore the nuts and bolts of the Firmhouse platform, from logistics and localisation to return management and ID checks
• Bob talks about building toward “planet positive” business infrastructure and what progress, not perfection, looks like in circularity

📌 Mentioned in this episode:

Firmhouse: https://firmhouse.com

Bikeflip: https://bikeflip.com/

Tiny Library: https://tinylibrary.nl/en

Baboodle: https://www.baboodle.co.uk

The Good Roll: https://thegoodroll.nl/

Boldking: https://www.boldking.com/en

Coolblue (NL): https://www.coolblue.nl/en

Ayden: https://www.adyen.com/

Swapfiets: https://swapfiets.com/

Mollie:https://www.mollie.com/gb/

👤 About our guest:

Bob Jansen is the founder of Firmhouse, a recurring commerce platform supporting circular and subscription models across Europe. He brings a decade of experience building digital products and enabling sustainable business models. Firmhouse powers rental and subscription businesses in durable and consumable categories, offering tools for checkouts, logistics, ID verification and more.

Connect with Bob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobjansen

Learn more about Firmhouse: https://firmhouse.com

🌍 About HappyPorch:

HappyPorch is a purpose-driven software engineering consultancy focused on the circular economy. We believe technology plays a vital role in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss.

If you're working on circular economy solutions, we’d love to support your journey, whether through fractional CTO services, full product teams or practical guidance.

Learn more at...