While yarn production has long been fully automated, the time may now have come for RMG (ready-made garment) production.
A pioneer in this field is Softwear Automation, a technology innovator which has developed a fully autonomous sewing solution: they are making robots that can sew clothes – called ‘Sewbots’.
Softwear Automation has just announced the successful close of its $20 million Series B1 funding round. The round was led by a strategic investment from BESTSELLER, the Danish fashion company behind brands such as JACK & JONES, VERO MODA, and ONLY. The investment was made through Invest FWD, BESTSELLER’s dedicated innovation and investment platform. Current investors also participated in the financing.
BESTSELLER, CFO Thomas Børglum Jensen states, “At BESTSELLER, we look for innovations that can support progress and changes in the fashion industry. We believe that Softwear Automation can help address some of the key challenges we face across the industry – from speed and flexibility to reducing the environmental impact of garment production. We are pleased to support their development and look forward to exploring how their advanced technology can help us move forward.
As part of the collaboration between Softwear Automation and BESTSELLER, CFO Thomas Børglum Jensen, on behalf of BESTSELLER, joins the board of Softwear Automation.
“This partnership with BESTSELLER and the support from Invest FWD are not just a vote of confidence in our technology — they are a powerful catalyst for the future of on-demand and localised apparel manufacturing,” said Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan, Chairman and CEO of Softwear Automation.
The funding round aims to accelerate the completion of the robotics technology dedicated to t-shirt production, initiate the scaling of production capacity, and strengthen R&D.
The investment from BESTSELLER’s innovation and investment platform, Invest FWD, follows a series of other investments made by BESTSELLER in recent years. In total, BESTSELLER has invested more than DKK 200 million in innovative companies that aim to create the materials of the future and contribute to breakthroughs that can assist in the transformation of the fashion industry.
A significant criterion for the investments is that they not only meet BESTSELLER’s needs but also help push the entire fashion industry forward.
“When it comes to transforming the fashion industry, it is necessary with a diversified focus. The fashion industry is still linear, so it is crucial for us to also invest in innovative recycling technologies that can transform the clothes we wear today into new garments for the next generation. We have been doing this for several years, and we will intensify these efforts going forward,” says Dorte Rye Olsen, Head of Sustainability at BESTSELLER.
