Every year, over 60 billion metres of fabric, worth more than $300 billion, are discarded before garments ever reach store shelves. London-based startup ZERØTEC is tackling this head-on by harnessing AI to optimise pattern design and fabric cutting. Their technology can save fashion brands up to 15% on materials, fundamentally reshaping how clothes are produced.
The company just announced a £642,000 pre-seed funding round led by Bethnal Green Ventures, with participation from SFC Capital, SCE Freiraum Ventures, Cranfield University Seed Fund, and angel investor Benjamin Manwaring. The new capital will be used to accelerate product development, grow the team, and scale pilot projects with global fashion brands looking to reduce costs and environmental impact simultaneously.
Using AI to design waste out of the fashion supply chain
ZERØTEC was founded earlier this year by Nicholas Betts, a former sustainability consultant with experience working alongside eco-conscious brands and textile innovators. Betts observed that existing solutions mostly address waste after production, rather than preventing it at the source. His vision was to use AI to design waste out of the fashion supply chain from the very beginning.
Nicholas Betts shares with TFN, “We’re on a mission to solve one of fashion’s most critical problems with patented AI solutions that deliver real material benefits. Our platform helps brands embrace sustainability, cut costs, and finally bring transparency to the true impact of our clothes.”
Unlike competitors such as LECTRA, Gerber Technologies, OPTITEX, CLO3D, AUTOCADe, ZERØTEC’s real edge lies in pattern optimisation. They reshape the entire design process around waste reduction before cutting even happens. While many startups tackle waste downstream, ZERØTEC targets the root cause: the design phase itself.
The response so far has been promising. More than 250 brands, including some Fortune 500 apparel companies, have piloted ZERØTEC’s platform, signalling a potential shift in the industry.
Paul Miller OBE of Bethnal Green Ventures says, “What we love about ZERØTEC is that it turns the problem of waste in the fashion industry on its head. By designing out waste from the outset rather than dealing with it at the end of the process, we think Nicholas and the team are building something revolutionary.”
What’s next?
Looking ahead, the startup plans to use its funding to deepen R&D, extend integrations with manufacturers, and ramp up pilot programs with leading brands like H&M and Nike. Betts concludes, “Our next goals include international expansion across the EEA/MENA to capture 500M KGs of carbon from industry and 50K users.”
Still, the question remains: can the slow-moving fashion industry embrace this AI-driven change quickly enough? Or will entrenched habits persist until growing consumer and investor pressure forces a shift?
