Throughout her career in technology, 28-year-old Jenny Wang consistently revisited one particular idea: a personalized AI assistant capable of offering fashion advice based on an individual’s budget, lifestyle, daily activities, and even the weather. Until recently though, Wang says that despite multiple attempts, the necessary artificial intelligence technologies were not suitably mature to make her vision a reality.
Today, Wang announced a major breakthrough for her new startup, Alta, with an $11 million seed funding round led by Menlo Ventures. Alta is inspired by the styling technology featured prominently in the iconic movie “Clueless,” acting as an AI-powered digital stylist and personal shopping assistant. The platform suggests customized outfits and enables users to virtually “try on” clothing through digital avatars designed after each user.
To utilize Alta, users can upload their existing wardrobe items by snapping photos or uploading purchase receipts. Alta’s system also leverages an extensive built-in database. Users can blend new clothing they’re considering buying with existing pieces from their virtual closets. If a user seeks advice on dressing for a specific event, like a conference or special occasion, Alta crafts tailored outfit suggestions accompanied by interactive lookbooks.
Alta joins the rapidly expanding field of personalized AI-driven fashion services alongside other stylists and shopping platforms like Whering and Cladwell. Major platforms including Google Shopping and Pinterest are also exploring similar AI experiments. Wang believes, however, that the next generation of consumer AI will demand fresh approaches to technology infrastructure and intuitive user interfaces in order to truly win over the public.
Behind Alta stands an impressive lineup of investors, including high-profile names from within and outside the industry. Investors in the seed round include Benchstrength; Algaé Ventures—funded by the Arnault family behind fashion powerhouse LVMH; Phenomenal Ventures, founded by Meena Harris, niece of Vice President Kamala Harris; and Anthroptic’s Anthrology VC fund. A variety of individual angel investors have also joined the round, such as DoorDash CEO Tony Xu, prominent fashion models Jasmine Tookes and Karlie Kloss, Rent the Runway co-founder Jenny Fleiss, and Manish Chandra, CEO and co-founder of Poshmark.
Additionally, Michelle Obama’s stylist Meredith Koop, a highly respected figure in fashion circles, contributed her expertise, aiding in the training of Alta’s fashion-focused artificial intelligence models.
Wang described Alta’s fundraising process as deeply aligned, drawing extensively from networking connections she built through her varied tech industry experiences. A Harvard-trained engineer, Wang previously interned at DoorDash and volunteered on Kloss’ tech-driven podcast, “Kode with Klossy.” Having held numerous roles across investment firms and tech enterprises, she emphasized her continuing dedication to coding and technical skill-building.
With this new funding, Wang plans to significantly expand Alta’s technical team while simultaneously increasing investment in advanced research and product development. The company is actively refining its AI and user interactions based on customer feedback.
Alta is already making strategic industry partnerships, notably with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), offering Alta’s platform directly to its membership. Wang relocated her base from San Francisco to New York City, noting the East Coast city’s growing status as a hub of AI-powered consumer startups and its proximity to European fashion capitals. Wang says angel investor and influential fashion tech advocate Zita d’Hautville, along with the support from LVMH, is guiding Alta’s expansion into the European market. The company is also collaborating with notable organizing expert Marie Kondo on further expanding into the Oceania region.
Looking ahead, Alta aims to establish partnerships with global retailers, positioning itself as a leading innovator in fashion-tech consumer AI. Wang characterizes the launch and growth of Alta as the fulfillment of her long-standing ambition, a dream at the intersection of fashion, technology, and artificial intelligence finally coming to fruition.
