Alta raises $11M to bring ‘Clueless’ fashion tech to life with all-star investors
During her years in technology, Jenny Wang, 28, always worked back to one idea – a personal styling agent to help users decide what to wear and buy based on their budget, lifestyle, weather and calendar.
In the past she tried to build such a product several times, “but the AI technology was not yet mature enough,” she told WAN. That has changed, so a few months ago she announced the launch of her dream company, AltaFollowed by the announcement today of a $ 11 million seed round led by Menlo Ventures.
The product, that feels Directly from the movie ‘Clueless’, Is indeed an AI stylist and personal shopper who does outfit recommendations and users who let looks with their personalized virtual avatar. For example, a person can ask Alta what the best outfit can be for, for example, WAN Disrupt, and the AI will offer suggestions and present a lookbook with outfits.
Users upload their cupboard by taking photos, sending purchasing coupons or searching what is already in the Alta database. People can also dress in clothing that they want to buy, mix and match with clothing that is already in their closet.
There Others play around In the AI styling room, like whering And Cladwell, all who try to re -make the magic of that iconic scene in ‘Clueless’, where Cher is planting an outfit of its cupboard using computer technology. Wang regards itself as part of the new wave of consumer technology and wants to make styling and shopping more effective.
“There are existing players such as Google Shopping and Pinterest who also experiment with AI,” she continued. “But the experiences that consumers will crave and use in the future must be built with new technical architectures and new user interfaces.”
The product is supported by a few heavy names, including the stylist Meredith Koop by Michelle Obama, who, according to Wang, said Alta’s AI to train.
Other investors in the company are bench stringt; Algaé Ventures, the investment company supported by the prestigious Arnault family of Fashion of LVMH; Phenomenal companies, the company founded by Kamala Harris’ Nicht Meena; Anthropic’s VC Arm Anthology Fund; and a whole series of Engel Investors, including Doordash CEO and co-founder Tony Xu, Super Models Jasmine Takes and Karlie Kloss, co-founder Jenny Fleiss, co-founder of the runway, and Poshmark CEO and co-founder Manish Chandra.
Wang used the word ‘aligned’ to describe her fundraising process and leaned heavily on the network that she collected while working in various technical roles during her career. She is a Harvard engineer through training and has invested in numerous companies, served as a technical adviser for brands and also played a role in investment companies.
Years ago, for example, she was an intern at Doordash and previously offered volunteer work at Karlie Kloss ‘Podcast’ Kode with Klossy. ”
“I still core active every day and learn from our team and technical advisers,” she said.
Wang said that the new capital will be used to grow the team and to finance more research and development. “Our team is constantly updating our internal models and improving experience based on community feedback,” she said.
Alta already has hit a partnership With the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to offer Alta to its membership base. Wang used to live in San Francisco, but moved to New York to build the technology. “NYC is also a closer flight to Paris than SF,” she said, adding that LVMH and one of its angel investors, tech influencer Zita d’Atvillehelp the company to expand throughout Europe.
Alta also works with Marie Kondo while the company is spreading in parts of Oceania and the Pacific Ocean.
The plan is to look the next to work with retailers worldwide.
“Many of the most exciting AI companies in the consumer are started in NYC,” continued Wang, adding that she has collected a very technical but also fashion-geblaned team. This startup is her dream come true.
