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AI-Powered Style: The Future of Personal Shopping with Alta

  • 3 min read

In the ever-evolving world of technology, personalization is key. This is especially true in the fashion industry, where individual style is paramount. Enter Alta, a groundbreaking AI-powered personal styling agent that has recently secured an $11 million seed round led by Menlo Ventures. The brainchild of 28-year-old Jenny Wang, Alta is transforming the way users decide what to wear and buy based on their budget, lifestyle, weather, and calendar.

Drawing inspiration from the iconic movie "Clueless," Alta offers a virtual avatar that allows users to try on outfits and mix and match clothing items from their existing wardrobe or prospective purchases. Users can upload their closet by taking photos, forwarding purchase receipts, or searching the Alta database. The AI then generates outfit recommendations tailored to the user's preferences and needs.

Wang, a Harvard engineer by training, has always been passionate about the intersection of technology and fashion. She has tried to build such a product numerous times in the past but found that AI technology was not yet mature enough. With advancements in AI, Wang finally announced the launch of her dream company, Alta, a few months ago.

Alta is not alone in the AI styling space, with competitors like Whering and Cladwell also vying for a slice of the market. However, Wang believes that Alta's new technical architectures and user interfaces will set it apart from the competition. She considers herself part of the new wave of consumer technology, looking to make styling and shopping more effective.

The product is backed by some heavy hitters, including Michelle Obama's stylist Meredith Koop, who helped train Alta's AI. Other investors in the company include Benchstrength, Algaé Ventures, Phenomenal Ventures, Anthology fund, and a host of angel investors like DoorDash CEO Tony Xu, supermodels Jasmine Tookes and Karlie Kloss, Rent the Runway co-founder Jenny Fleiss, and Poshmark CEO Manish Chandra.

Wang used the word "aligned" to describe her fundraising process, relying heavily on the network she amassed while working in various tech roles throughout her career. She has invested in numerous companies, served as a technical advisor to brands, and held roles at investment firms.

The fresh capital will be used to grow the team and fund more research and development. "Our team is continuously updating our in-house models and improving the experience based on community feedback," Wang said.

Alta has already struck a partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to offer Alta to its membership base. Wang has relocated from San Francisco to New York to help build out the technology, noting that NYC is a closer flight to Paris than SF. LVMH and angel investor Zita d'Hautville are helping the company expand throughout Europe, while Alta is also working with Marie Kondo as the company expands throughout parts of Oceania and the Pacific.

The plan is to next look at partnering with retailers worldwide. Wang believes that many of the most exciting consumer AI companies are being started in NYC, and she has assembled a highly technical but also fashion-obsessed team. This startup is her dream come true, and with the backing of industry heavyweights and a focus on innovation, Alta is poised to revolutionize the way we shop for and style our clothes.

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