Cash Cleaner

From opportunity to a market ready product in 6 months

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified an emerging problem and built a new product and business around it. With limited access to materials, manufacturers and development resources, the challenge was not only to design the product, but to move from opportunity to production and market launch under extreme time pressure. Within six months, Cash Cleaner went from initial idea to a market-ready product.

Services:

User research
Stakeholder research
Design innovation
Business design
Concept development
Industrial design
Industrialization support
Marketing and branding direction

In collaboration with:

Alen Bučar, Bor Brezec

Cutaway render of the Cash Cleaner showing the UV-C chamber inside

At a glance

Opportunity

Develop a solution to reduce pathogen transmission through cash during the pandemic. As part of the startup team, my role was to help shape the product concept and define how the device could become both desirable to customers and viable for market introduction.

Solution

A high-speed banknote disinfection device developed for institutions seeking to enhance customer safety and leverage this capability as a unique selling point.

Impact

Within a year, we developed and patented the device, scientifically validated its effectiveness, produced a small batch and delivered units across several EU countries and beyond. As airborne transmission became established as the primary route for COVID-19, demand naturally declined.

“Although the disinfection process was highly technical, design was key to making the product marketable. It helped shape the user experience, address stakeholder needs, consider the business context, and communicate the device’s benefits clearly.”

Alen Bučar | Xleaner | Co-founder

Seizing a brief market opportunity

What began as a quick analysis of pathogen transmission through cash rapidly evolved into a tangible concept. Within days, we validated the problem through research, calculated the parameters for UV-C disinfection, and started prototyping.

By repurposing components from existing cash-handling devices, we built the first working prototype in under a week, proving the concept and defining the foundation for further development.

Engineer assembling Cash Cleaner electronics at a workshop table

Early Cash Cleaner prototype glowing with blue UV light as banknotes pass through

Building the product while testing the market

With the concept validated, product and market development moved in parallel, but neither was standing still. Technical assumptions changed, prototypes exposed new problems, and early conversations with the market influenced what the product needed to become.

We refined the device for higher efficiency, stronger UV-C output and a more credible medical-grade appearance, while building the brand, visuals and sales materials needed to test market interest. Within two weeks of the first prototype, Cash Cleaner was already receiving media attention and inquiries from distributors, banks and investors across Europe.

Cash Cleaner brochure and web pages laid out side by side

Newspaper article about Cash Cleaner with a photo of its founders

Cash Cleaner prototype with a blue-tinted lid on a white shelf

First sale on day 78

Less than six months after the initial idea, we finalized the design for production, partnered with a manufacturer and assembled the first batch.

Despite the challenges of early-stage hardware development, including tight timelines, sourcing constraints and production issues, we delivered working units to customers in multiple EU countries. The first sale came on day 78.