Storage service startup Juujbox is making a name for itself among locals needing affordable, concierge-style storage solutions — especially college students who are in the throes of moving into the dorms, ahead of the fall semester.
Founder & CEO
Juujbox
“At Juujbox, in just two months, we’ve gained nearly 175 customers, and a significant factor behind this growth has been the presence of the three major universities in San Diego,” said Juujbox Founder and CEO Ali Mirdamadi. “Our solution aligns well with college students going on summer break, as we’re able to address what’s typically been a significant challenge which is providing a simple way to store your things during the summer.”
Juujbox’s success expands beyond students. “People all over San Diego are finding different ways to use our storage solution,” he added. “We have digital nomads, travel nurses, seniors, Airbnb owners, businesses storing holiday decorations and many other exciting use cases for Juujbox.”
When it’s time for you to move, Juujbox drops off empty storage bins at your door. After you fill them, the company takes the bins to an off sight, secured warehouse to be stored for a monthly fee which is determined by how many bins you use. There’s no contract. Whenever you’re ready for one or all of the bins to be returned, you schedule a delivery to your door and pay a flat fee. You can also store items that don’t fit in the bins – like golf bags or small appliances.
Emphasizing employee satisfaction, Juujbox pays its drivers $25 an hour.
Finding a Market Need
Ali and his wife Christina Ahn Mirdamadi launched the company earlier this year after seeing the unmet need in the market. Mirdamadi – who’s lived in Little Italy for more than a decade – was challenged with finding more space.
Head of Marketing and Creative
Juujbox
“First, it was for hobbies. Then it was to free up the guest bedroom so our family could stay there. Now, I need space because we’ve had our first child and we’re beginning to plan for a second,” he said.
Neither he nor his friends have trucks, so it seemed like an excessive burden to get a storage unit. “Also, the typical person will agree that items in a self-storage unit usually stay there due to the hassle of retrieving your belongings. Portable storage like PODS seemed attractive, but the idea of storing belongings on downtown street corners felt uncertain — like an adventure that I didn’t want to embark upon,” he said.
The pandemic kicked the business idea into high gear. A worldwide shift to remote work meant that people were spending more time at home where they transformed their living rooms and kitchens into office spaces, accelerating the need for a better storage solution.
“Our biggest challenge is that we’re creating a new category within storage,” explained Christina, who serves as the head of marketing and creative for Juujbox. “Our concept isn’t novel, but our solution is one of those things that when you explain it to someone, they think, ‘I wish I would have known about you. I could have used you guys during X,Y or Z.’”
The Future of Storage
This year, online storage space marketplaceStorageCafe reported that more than 20% of Americans are currently using self-storage, with 15% intending to do so in the future.
According to 2022 research published by data consolidation platform Statistica, the global self-storage market is forecasted to be worth $64.71 billion by 2026 — up from $48.02 billion in 2020. The U.S. accounted for 90% of global self-storage inventory, per 2018 data from the site.
With a resume that includes positions at Oracle, Rackspace Technology and Wells Fargo, Mirdamadi comes with solid experience in strategic business development and sales. “With Juujbox, it’s been fun to step back from negotiating multi-million-dollar contracts, [and focus on] working with customers I have a more immediate and direct impact on.”
Juujbox was self-funded until a recent, undisclosed deal with an investor, Mirdamadi said, adding that the company is open to dialogue with other potential investors. “Juujbox is in the early stages of something special and I’m so happy to be going through this journey with Christina in America’s Finest City,” he added.
Juujbox
FOUNDED: 2023
FOUNDER & CEO: Ali Mirdamadi
HEADQUARTERS: Little Italy
EMPLOYEES: 10
BUSINESS: storage solutions
WEBSITE: juujbox.com
CONTACT: hello@juujbox.com
NOTABLE: Once a customer is ready for stored items to be returned, Juujbox delivers for a $25 flat fee.
