From novel materials and new textile recycling methods to sneakers linked to NFTs these are some of the early-stage fashion startups that are capturing investors' attention.
The fashion industry has been through intense technological changes in recent years, from social media changing buying patterns, to new AI design tools and the introduction of novel materials to improve sustainability. A huge number of startups has emerged to offer solutions from the circular economy to sneakers linked to NFTs.
This is an area where corporate venture units have made a fairly limited number of investments, however, although some companies do have collaboration or supplier agreements with up-and-coming fashion technology startups.
Here are 15 early-stage startups that investors should be keeping their eye on.
Raspberry.AI
- New York, US
- Founded: 2022
- Funding to date: $28.5m
Raspberry AI offers an AI-powered design assistant to help fashion creatives bring their visions to life. The platform offers tools like sketch-to-render conversion, easy print generation and AI-driven lifestyle photography – all aimed at helping designers to visualise and iterate on their concepts efficiently.
The startup’s design features allow users to simulate different fabrics, textures and colour palettes, thereby reducing the need for physical samples, cutting down on waste and accelerating the design process. The AI tool also has the ability to produce realistic images from simple sketches, further streamlining the workflow and creative process.
