Rotostitch raises 1 million US dollars to “revolutionise” apparel manufacturing

San Francisco-based manufacturing start-up Rotostitch, which is looking to redefine apparel production through automation, has raised 1 million US dollars in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round, led by Boost VC and Nova Threshold.

Rotostitch, founded by former engineers from Tesla, Neuralink and Apple, said the new capital would accelerate product development, scale manufacturing capabilities, and expand go-to-market efforts.

Leah McClure, an ex-Tesla/Neuralink engineer and co-founder and chief executive of Rotostitch, said in a statement: "This round enables us to bring our vision of smart, agile textile production into reality. With the backing of forward-thinking investors, we're ready to revolutionise how apparel is made by reducing waste, increasing speed and giving brands a competitive edge."

Rotostitch notes that its innovative manufacturing technology is addressing a “major transformation” in the apparel industry, which is shifting towards fully automated, flexible manufacturing that shortens lead times and responds rapidly to fashion cycles, and its proprietary hardware and software enable brands “to move from concept to garment faster and more sustainably”.

Anson Tsang, co-founder and chief technology officer at Rotostitch, who will help co-lead the company's hardware platform, added: "The company's proprietary manufacturing process will deliver dramatically greater speed and versatility compared to today's technologies. This will drive the adoption of sustainable fashion technology and automation across the industry."