London clothing startup combats fast fashion retailers with £250k expansion

The Seam, a London based digital platform startup “revolutionising clothes care and repair services”, has raised a £250k pre-seed round, with Jenson Funding Partners as the lead investor.

The funding will allow the business to increase the speed of its product offering, scale up the team and expand into other regions.

Founded by Layla Sargent, The Seam is designed as a way to connect consumers and tailors with the aim of reducing waste from fast fashion by repairing or altering clothes.

With an online network of over 700 across Greater London, serving thousands of people who are booking their services, The Seam platform “empowers wearers to have a personalised connection with their clothes”.

Jenson’s established presence in the early-stage venture captial ecosystem has allowed the firm to shape the landscape of startup investment over the past decade. The firm’s track record of investment into diverse startups, supporting businesses with minority and female-led teams across the UK, has made them an ideal fund to support The Seam’s growth.

Layla Sargent, founder and CEO of The Seam, said: “Now more than ever it’s important to change consumers’ relationship with the clothes they own. The environmental impact of fast fashion hasn’t gone unnoticed and major brands are under pressure to offer a more sustainable solution to the industry.

“The Seam not only allows wearers to have a deeper connection with the clothes they own but also allows individuals to reduce their impact on fashion waste through maintaining their wardrobe – repairing, rather than discarding the items they own.

“This funding round will allow The Seam to grow and offer even more consumers its services across the UK.”

Jeffrey Faustin, CIO of Jenson Funding Partners added: “We are always on the search for innovative businesses led by passionate and driven founders like Layla.

“Layla has identified an original idea for the market, fusing the traditional area of alterations with digital and tapping into the importance of sustainability and reducing waste with great commercial potential. We look forward to seeing how The Seam continues to grow.”