Finesse, a new company focused on reducing waste and uncertainty within the fashion industry, has announced the completion of a $4.5 million seed and pre-seed funding round.

According to Founder and CEO Ramin Ahmari, the significant amount of waste generated by the fashion world is now widely recognized. Recent criticism directed at Burberry for destroying unsold merchandise, coupled with the industry’s overall production of approximately 13 million tons of textile waste annually, highlights this issue.

Finesse intends to address this problem, Ahmari explained, by leveraging the shift in fashion influence from traditional runway shows to social media platforms. The company aims to capitalize on how quickly new styles gain popularity through endorsements from figures like Kylie Jenner and their presence on platforms such as Instagram.

“We are able to utilize this readily available information,” he stated. Ahmari, who previously held a position in the financial sector, also pointed out that the fashion industry, despite perceptions, exhibits more predictability than the stock market – a sector where advanced technologies like natural language processing and deep learning have already been implemented.

“Essentially, we identify moments when a post by someone like Kylie Jenner generates substantial interest… and then observe similar reactions across Instagram, TikTok, and Google Trends,” he elaborated. “We forecast emerging trends before they achieve widespread virality.”

Although the official launch is today, the startup has already been conducting sales through “drops,” allowing customers to vote on and pre-order limited-edition products. Ahmari clarified that Finesse concentrates on offering distinctive items rather than everyday basics, but its confidence in demand allows for competitive pricing – current products are priced between $8 and $116.

Ahmari emphasized that, in contrast to many fashion businesses, Finesse doesn’t require a large design team. However, he highlighted the artistic contributions of team members such as Vice President of Product Andrea Knopf and Head of Product Development Brittany Fleck, who collaborate with the company’s algorithms.

“Complete automation through artificial intelligence – which remains a distant prospect – will never fully replicate human creativity,” he said. “Human oversight and iterative feedback are essential… What we are streamlining is the elimination of repetitive, entry-level tasks, such as manually monitoring Instagram for emerging fashion trends.”

Ahmari also stated that Finesse’s commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, particularly its connection with the LGBTQ community (Ahmari identifies as queer and nonbinary, and all products are gender-neutral), positions it to appeal to Gen Z consumers who are seeking alternatives to fashion trends dictated by “white, older, cisgender men.”

The company’s investors include Alex Roetter, former Head of Engineering at Twitter, Ali Diab, CEO of Collective Health, Hoxton Ventures, MaC Venture Capital, Mango Capital, and Sam Teller, co-founder of Fab Fit Fun.

“We are confident that Finesse represents the future of fashion, from its ability to predict trends to its sustainable supply chain and manufacturing processes,” commented Marlon Nichols, Managing Partner at MaC, in a statement. “We hope other brands will take inspiration from Finesse’s innovative approach, and we look forward to seeing their continued progress.”