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.

Subscribe at: https://www.happyporch.com/newsletter/

🎙 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...

How Tech Enables Circular Innovation – with Patrick Hypscher

What does it really take to build circular business models — and how can technology accelerate that transformation?

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, we’re joined by Patrick Hypscher, a circular business strategist, advisor, and the voice behind Circularity.fm. Patrick brings unique insights from working at the intersection of digital innovation and the circular economy — from launching a software startup to building BlueMovement, a home appliance subscription service inside Bosch Siemens Home Appliances (BSH).

We explore the vital role of technology in enabling, scaling, and adapting circular models, particularly product-as-a-service (PaaS). Patrick shares honest reflections on what worked, what didn’t, and how thoughtful use of digital tools can remove friction, support iteration, and accelerate progress.

In this episode:

Patrick explains why building in-house tech is often unnecessary — and even risky — for early-stage PaaS ventures.

We discuss how SaaS tools, APIs, and no-code platforms offer the flexibility needed to support fast iteration and growth.

Patrick explores the enabling role of IoT and remote condition monitoring in rental and performance-based models.

He shares real-world examples, including cooling-as-a-service from Kaer, pay-per-part manufacturing at Trumpf, HP Instant Ink, and Hilti subscriptions.

We reflect on organisational culture, channel conflict, and internal buy-in — and how to navigate these in large businesses.

Finally, we explore the importance of iteration, adaptability, and learning cycles when piloting circular models.

This episode offers practical insights for anyone working at the intersection of digital systems and circular design.

Mentioned in this episode:

BlueMovement (BSH): https://www.bluemovement.com/nl-en

Kaer – Cooling-as-a-Service: https://www.kaer.com/

Trumpf – Pay-per-Part Manufacturing: https://www.trumpf.com/en_INT/

HP Instant Ink: https://instantink.hpconnected.com/uk/en/l/v2

Hilti Tool Subscriptions: https://www.hilti.co.uk/content/hilti/E1/GB/en/support/support/faqs/subscription-portal/general-subscription-portal.html

About our guest:

Patrick Hypscher is a circular strategist and the host of Circularity.fm, where he interviews founders and practitioners building real-world circular business models. With a background in economics, philosophy, and entrepreneurship, Patrick brings a systems-thinking lens to his work.

He previously led the

Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!

In this episode our hosts Barry O’Kane and Tandi Tuakli are joined by Katie Hanton-Parr, the visionary founder of Baboodle - a circular rental platform specifically designed for baby equipment.

Katie’s story is one of passion, perseverance, and innovation—born out of her own experience as a parent grappling with the challenges of accessing safe, high-quality baby gear without the waste and cost of traditional ownership.

Throughout the episode Katie talks about the many layers involved in running a circular rental business in such a sensitive and highly regulated space.

From managing rigorous safety and hygiene standards to the complexities of reverse logistics, Katie explains what it takes to keep every item in Baboodle’s inventory reliable and ready for the next family. One of the key themes is repairability: ensuring products can be fixed and maintained rather than discarded, which is vital to the sustainability mission but often tricky in practice.

We also delve into the technology that underpins Baboodle’s operations. Katie shares how the team integrates specialised circular economy software for handling rental logistics, inventory management, and refurbishment workflows. She gives examples of crucial tools for digital subscriptions and recurring billing, combined with seamless warehouse and fulfillment operations.

This tech stack allows Baboodle to handle complex customer journeys, whether it’s a simple rental, a rent-to-own arrangement, or a resale option, all while maintaining transparency and control over each product’s lifecycle. Katie emphasizes how crucial it is to have a system built specifically for circularity—not just repurposed e-commerce tech—so that the platform can scale and adapt.

Tune in to hear more about Katie’s blend of practical wisdom, innovative use of technology, and genuine care for families and the environment that makes this episode truly inspiring!

This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses.

Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!

Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!

In this episode our hosts Barry O’Kane and Jo Weston are joined by Yann Toutant, CEO and Co-founder of Black Winch who are the world's exclusive authority in Product-As-A-Service (PaaS) solutions.

At the beginning of the conversation Yann explains Black Winch’s work and how they engage, inspire and empower intrapreneurs to achieve their PaaS ambitions by building and scaling their in-house recurring revenue models.

Drawing on his experience guiding manufacturers through the transition to outcome-based services, Yann offers a deep dive into both the opportunities and the operational realities of implementing PaaS and discusses the importance of a long-term thinking strategy to make PaaS successful in any business.

Yann also highlights key differences between B2B and B2C adoption of as-a-service models and talks about how technology plays a critical role in enabling these models. He outlines the importance of asset tracking, consumption data, billing complexity management, and reverse logistics—all underpinned by flexible tech stacks that evolve as the business scales.

Looking ahead, Yann envisions that manufacturers will want to retain ownership of raw materials and explains how urban mining and material recovery will become strategic advantages.

Tune in to learn about how new generations of data-driven leaders will continue to accelerate the shift towards PaaS and much more!

This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses.

Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!

Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!

In this episode our hosts Barry O’Kane and Tandi Tuakli are joined by Ryan Atkins, the co-founder and CEO of Supercycle - a circular commerce platform that enables rental and resale natively in Shopify.

Ryan explains that scaling circular business models depends on overcoming integration challenges between physical product flows (repair, refurbishment, cleaning) and digital commerce (Shopify, customer experience).

In this conversation we learn that while platforms like Supercycle can provide the core technology and integration "pipes," each brand has unique requirements in logistics, customer experience, product flows, and back office systems.

Ryan also discusses collaborations with specialist partners, from 3PLs that can handle circular operations to integration and professional services partners that allow brands to tailor and scale their circular offerings. Without this ecosystem of enablers, it would be impossible to support the variety of customer journeys that circular models demand.

Tune in to learn more about how circularity is reshaping e-commerce, the technology driving it, and why strong partnerships are the foundation of successful circular systems!

This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses.

Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!

Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!

Our hosts are joined by Lucy Wishart, lecturer in Circular Economy and Sustainable Transformations at the University of Edinburgh. In this episode they explore how rental models fit into academic, practical, and social aspects of circularity.

From the idea of “consumption work” (and how rental reduces it) to what makes circular systems messy by nature, this conversation is packed with insight.

Lucy explains how rental plays a key role in circular economy frameworks like the Nine R’s and Product-Service Systems, offering an alternative to ownership-based consumption.

The discussion explores both the potential and pitfalls of rental - from shifting consumption habits to labor and logistical challenges.

"There’s a distinction between circularity and the circular economy. Circularity can be quite small scale and local… but the circular economy requires more than one product, more than one organisation — it’s collective. It requires us to work together."

This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses.

Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!