Alta secures $11M to launch fashion tech inspired by 'Clueless' with top investors

Alta secures $11M for AI-powered personal styling inspired by 'Clueless'.

: Jenny Wang, 28, founded Alta to innovate personal styling using AI technology, successfully securing $11 million in seed funding led by Menlo Ventures. Alta's AI stylist, reminiscent of the iconic 'Clueless' movie technology, allows users to create personalized lookbooks with a virtual avatar trying on outfits. Supported by notable investors like Meredith Koop, Tony Xu, and the Arnault family's Algaé Ventures, the brand aims for expansion including partnerships like that with CFDA. Alta is focused on growing its team and R&D, expanding usage across New York, San Francisco, Europe, and Oceania with support from investors including Zita d’Hautville and Marie Kondo.

Jenny Wang, 28, launched Alta, motivated by a vision to create a personal AI styling agent that assists users in their clothing choices based on a variety of factors such as budget, lifestyle, weather, and calendar schedules. This endeavor was enabled by recent advancements in AI technology, allowing her to finally bring her idea into fruition after several previous attempts stalled due to technological constraints. Jenny Wang represents a new wave of consumer technology innovators, blending AI with fashion to create a user-friendly personal shopping experience.

The venture secured an impressive $11 million in seed funding, led by Menlo Ventures. Key investors in the seed round include influential figures and organizations like Michelle Obama’s stylist Meredith Koop, Benchstrength, Algaé Ventures backed by the Arnault family of LVMH, Phenomenal Ventures by Kamala Harris’ niece Meena, Anthrology fund of Anthroptic’s VC arm, Tony Xu of Doordash, supermodels Jasmine Tookes and Karlie Kloss, Jenny Fleiss of Rent the Runway, and Manish Chandra of Poshmark. This roster of backers underscores the increasing interest and trust placed in the combination of AI and fashion.

Alta's product functions much like the innovative fashion technology depicted in the movie 'Clueless', enabling users to try on virtual outfits through personalized avatars. Users can integrate their existing clothing with new purchases to visualize outfit combinations, thus enhancing their shopping and styling processes. The app stands out due to its ability to collate users' closet items through photos, purchases, and Alta’s extensive database, setting it apart from competitors like Whering and Cladwell who also attempt to recreate the 'Clueless' closet experience.

The funding is intended to be utilized for team expansion and intensive research and development to refine the AI models. Additionally, partnerships such as the one with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) aim to broaden Alta’s reach within the fashion industry. Jenny Wang, who grew her network while working in various roles across tech and investment firms, credits these connections as instrumental in her ability to attract the high-profile investors and accelerate Alta’s development. The move from San Francisco to New York also illustrates her strategic vision to position Alta at the heart of the fashion and tech crossroads, facilitating easier global expansion particularly into Europe.

Alta plans to expand to new markets, leveraging its partnerships and investor networks. Marie Kondo is involved in Alta's efforts to explore markets across Oceania and the Pacific, illustrating a growing influence of the brand. The company's future roadmap includes entering retail partnerships for a broader consumer reach globally. Differentiating itself from competitors, Alta focuses on building a technically robust yet fashion-centric team to drive forward its vision of revolutionizing personal style through AI.

Sources: TechCrunch, Vogue Business, CFDA.

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