EXCLUSIVE: New York Fashion Tech Lab Unveils Its 2024 Cohort of Women-led Retail Tech Start-ups
The New York Fashion Tech Lab has unveiled the 2024 Cohort, which features six women-led, business-to-business retail technology start-ups. This is the 11th cohort to go through the program.
The New York Fashion Tech Lab, a nonprofit that was created in 2014 by Springboard Enterprises, is done in collaboration with leading retailers and brands in support of the 12-week program. This year’s cohort includes Curated for You, Flock, Fairly Made, Nectar AI, Raspberry AI and Yofi.
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Organizers of the program said the returning retail and brand partners include the J.Crew Group, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Selfridges & Co., The TJX Cos. and Tapestry and are joined by first-year partners Lululemon, MCM Worldwide and the Neiman Marcus Group. Last month, executives from the partner companies gathered to review finalists, of which six were chosen for the program.
The New York Fashion Tech Lab will be in residence at Spring Place with the annual Closing Demo Day Experiential event taking place on June 18 at Lavan. Similar to prior years, the underpinning themes and tech solution areas of the applicants and finalists reflect the needs of today’s fashion retailing.
Jackie Trebilcock, managing director of the New York Fashion Tech Lab, said, “In the ever-evolving landscape of innovation, each year prompts the question: what are the ‘themes’ of the lab? The themes start to emerge initially via the application pool and ultimately are revealed once the cohort is selected. The above companies reflect the 2024 themes of social commerce, personalization, fraud/returns protection, visual commerce, AI design/merchandising and sustainability impact.”
Trebilcock said since its inception, the New York Fashion Tech Lab has served as a catalyst for women-led businesses, empowering 75 innovative companies, which include Obsess, Eon, FindMine, Buywith, Dressx, Reflaunt and Save Your Wardrobe, among others.
“Following their involvement in the program, these companies have flourished independently, achieving notable milestones such as forming strategic alliances with top retailers, securing substantial investments, and being subject to noteworthy acquisitions,” organizers of the program said in a statement.
Springboard Enterprises describes itself as U.S.-based “venture catalyst” and 501(c)3 organization “with a mission to accelerate the growth of entrepreneurial companies led by women through access to essential resources and a global community of experts.”
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