Fashion tech startup OWNI announces first AI powered digital wardrobe
OWNI, a pioneering UK-based tech startup transforming the landscape of fashion resale, introduces its innovative artificial intelligence-driven digital wardrobe technology. This launch is a crucial step in OWNI’s mission to revolutionize the way we engage in second-hand transactions, aiming to diminish waste and shift away from a throwaway culture associated with fast fashion.
This cutting-edge web3 technology meticulously tracks items through their ownership changes, actively involving brands in the resale market. OWNI presents an economically viable solution for brands to curate their presence in the second-hand market and participate in the resale value through royalties when their originally produced items are resold.
“We’re all aware that the more we consume, the greater the impact on the planet.”
While the current second-hand market predominantly revolves around consumer buyers and sellers, the OWNI marketplace pioneers a fully circular economy. This approach ensures that both shoppers and brands are rewarded throughout a product’s entire lifecycle, not solely during the initial purchase.
OWNI streamlines the resale of items from brand partners that remain owned but unused, simplifying the process with automatic listings and eliminating the manual and time-consuming aspects of the current online second-hand market.
In mirroring the purchasing and selling experience found in the ‘new’ market, OWNI integrates a straightforward one-tap selling process, offers free returns and shipping for items over £50, and implements a Verified product scheme. This scheme facilitates immediate payments for items confirmed as originals, instilling confidence in buyers regarding the authenticity of their purchases.
Investing in pre-loved fashion
Founded by sustainable fashion entrepreneurs Kalkidan Legesse and Vidmantas Markevicius, OWNI, backed by Google, secured £350,000 investment in 2022 from angel investors and VCs.
As the company sets its sights on reaching its first 100,000 UK users, OWNI aims for expansion into additional markets and countries in the near future. Operating from Devon, the business is actively cultivating brand partnerships and has already established collaborations with independent UK fashion brands, including Lowie, Komodo Fashion, Fanfare Label, People Tree, and Gung-ho London.
OWNI’s founder and CEO, Kalkidan Legesse, emphasizes, “Nothing else like OWNI exists in the resale market. We have created a marketplace that completely rethinks the way we buy, sell, and own our belongings. We’re all aware that the more we consume, the greater the impact on the planet. We want to end the impact of fashion on the climate and help people organize what they own to provide more shared value. Our vision is to make second-hand the first choice to improve sustainability for all.”
