Fashion Software Start-Up Unmade Secures $4M Funding

With a vision to reimagine both the design and manufacturing processes within the fashion industry, so that brands only produce what is actually sold, ethically minded Unmade launched back in 2014, having created a software platform for industrial knitting machines to allow consumers to design a garment from scratch, and essentially 'print' knitwear on demand. And after securing fresh capital following a new $4m funding round, the Carmen-backed company is now looking to venture beyond knitwear, and make its tools and technologies available to a much wider audience

The funding round was led by Felix Capital, and supported by Carmen alongside Connect Ventures, LocalGlobe, Backed VC and C4 Ventures. As well as enabling the business to expand across multiple brands, factories and geographies, it will help Unmade to build its team, with Joel Chippendale, former COO at ed-tech start-up Future Learn, announced as the new CTO as part of the raise. “With this recent investment and the appointment of Joel as our CTO, we’re more focused than ever on propelling the Unmade business forward during this time of pivotal change in the fashion and retail sectors,” said Hal Watts, Unmade’s co-founder and CEO.

Customization is a key element of Unmade’s proposition, and “the first step in replacing the individuality lost by industrialization,” according to Watts. In addition to the bespoke options available via its own platform, the company has worked with brands including Opening Ceremony and Farfetch, providing them with access to the technology for their own customers. And as part of yesterday’s funding announcement, it was revealed that Unmade is partnering with cyclingwear company Rapha Racing, thus expanding its personalization service from knitwear into print.

By integrating one-off orders and short-runs into existing production, Unmade cuts the time and cost associated with individual orders, putting them on a par with mass-produced items. And by offering on-demand clothes creation, the company are also supporting a more sustainable business model, ensuring that supply meets demand, rather than surpasses it. “Now working with three of America’s top 10 fashion brands, who generate billions in annual revenue, we strive to be an integral part in building a more sustainable and tech-enabled fashion ecosystem through on-demand manufacturing and customization,” said Watts.