A Manchester startup behind AI for bra fitting is set for a lift after securing funding.
Bella Trang Ngo, the Vietnamese founder of Brarista, says 70-80% of women wear the wrong bra size. Her firm has developed machine learning algorithms and vision AI to help women identify the right size.
She founded the company in 2019, with commercial operations beginning in 2021. It has paid pilot programmes with retailers Lemonade Dolls, Evenly and Monsera.
The £510,000 funding was led by GC Angels and also features private investors. It includes a grant from Innovate UK.
Brarista will now look to expand into maternity bras, swimwear and post-surgery lingerie.
“Our goal is to democratise the traditional bra fitting experience, making it accessible and personalised for everyone,” said Bella Trang Ngo.
“The funding from GC Angels will help us to grow Brarista and reduce the £10bn annual cost of lingerie returns that take place due to poor fit.
“With the support of Ranvir and the GC Angels team, we’re looking to expand into new product categories, empower consumers, and have a real impact in the lingerie and fashion markets.”
Ranvir Singh, investment manager at GC Angels, said: “We’re really excited to support Bella and Brarista – it is a truly innovative solution that combines AI with the kind of expertise that is seldom available on the high street today.
“It is going to completely transform the industry by addressing fit-related issues that have long plagued both customers and retailers alike.
“With our investment, we are confident that Brarista will scale quickly and have a significant impact both in the UK and globally.”