Invertex rakes in $2M in seed funding to grow footwear technology

Dive Brief:

Invertex, a fashion technology startup focused on using 3D digitization and other technologies to allow brands to produce and sell measure-to-fit footwear, has raised $2 million in seed funding, according to a company press release.
The funding round was led by Jerusalem-based equity crowdfunding VC OurCrowd through its OurCrowd First early stage fund. Retail and fashion group Permoda also participated in the round, along with angel investors.
Invertex’s scan-to-fit guided shopping experience platforms “combine advanced 3D digitization and deep-learning technologies to deliver tailored solutions for in store, at home and online audiences,” the Tel Aviv-based company stated in a press release.

Dive Insight:

From the 3D manufacturing projects of Adidas to Under Armour's connected footwear, footwear brands are aggressively pursuing technology innovations in the name of providing customers with more personalized products, and in many cases smarter — or at least more intelligently designed shoes.

Invertex has its own take on this trend, and it's an interesting one that could change how shoes are designed, produced and sold through multiple channels. At the very least, it could give footwear retailers a new draw for their physical stores and a new sort of customer experience for the people who come through the doors of those stores.

In an in-store context, customers would use an Invertex Launch-Pad, which allows them to model both their feet in 3D in less than 10 seconds. The platform then provides perfect size recommendations for every shoe model in the store as well as online.

High-tech innovation in the footwear space shouldn't come as a surprise. Footwear is a market in which customers are highly sensitive to achieving the most accurate fit possible. It's the ultimate form of personalization, and Invertex is enabling users to achieve that and to be in control of the process of making the shoe. The hoped-for outcome is fewer shoe returns for footwear retailers, but also more positive experiences for customers who might prove more eager to buy shoes that can be designed just for them, regardless of whether they are shopping online, on mobile or have just stepped into a store in a pair of shoes that could stand an upgrade.