A former Google and Meta executive is the newest investor in Taelor, the US-based menswear subscription service that uses artificial intelligence to select clothes for people.
Ben Ling, who previously invested in multiple unicorn companies including Lyft, Instacart, Square, and Indiegogo, has through his venture capital fund Bling Capital, led a US$2.3 million oversubscribed pre-seed funding round.
Other investors include Samantha Chien and her husband, Kai Huang, the founder of Guitar Hero; Sean Chao, a former MD at Morgan Stanley Taiwan; Chicago Early, an angel group that focuses on startups with Chicago ties; and the co-founder of the Silicon Valley Chapter of Golden Seeds, an investment firm focused on high potential female-led companies.
Taelor launched a pilot program last year testing the concept on a selection of trial customers. The new funding will allow the program to be expanded to customers currently on a waitlist, as well as diversify its range of styles, expand operations, and continue to refine its styling algorithms.
“The future of menswear is access, not ownership,” said Anya Cheng, Taelor’s co-founder and CEO, whose previous roles include helping to create Facebook Shopping for Meta, and who previously held digital innovation leadership positions at Ebay, Target, and McDonald’s.
“Our mission is to help people to look good, achieve goals and help save the environment.
“The younger generation is a lot more fashion-conscious because of social media, and they also support sustainability and buying second-hand clothes. That’s why Taelor is really the perfect solution for many young men who want to look good, but own less,” she said.
Customers, who pay a flat monthly fee of US$88, receive up to two boxes of clothes per month, the contents curated based on their answers to a style questionnaire. The customer can wear them for weeks or buy them for up to 70 per cent off the regular retail price.
AI takes into account the clothes they buy, refining the customer’s profile to ensure the clothing shipped by the menswear subscription service meets their personal preferences.
A regular box contains four items, including dress shirts, jackets, polo shirts, and henley shirts. Pants will soon be added. Dry cleaning and shipping is free both ways — making the process of renting and returning clothing effortless.
Cheng describes Taelor as being like a launching pad for clothing brands. “As a SaaS (software as a service) data company, we help brands and retailers test products, find new customers, and discover consumers’ true preferences.”
Ling said he was motivated to invest in Taelor because of its commitment to sustainability and its unique approach to helping fashion brands gain market insights. “Taelor saves time and money for consumers, customizing the experience for each consumer through AI, with a thoughtful focus on sustainability and re-use,” he said.
