Sepiiathe fashion and technology startup, plans to close its second round of funding this year. funding that will drive its expansion into international markets. Sepiia is a company created in 2016 dedicated to manufacturing fashion with smart clothing. In other words, it specialises in the production of basic garments with the application of technology in the textile fibres, which means that the products do not stain, wrinkle or smell.
Undoubtedly, one of the great differential values of Sepiia is that the garments can be machine washed and are 100% recyclable. The CEO, Federico Sainz Robles, is an industrial design engineer with a master's degree in fashion design and textile technology and is very concerned about caring for the planet.
WAS A GREAT SUCCESS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
Sepiia was born out of the non-conformism of an engineer who could not explain how clothing had evolved so little when the technology to make it much more functional already existed. It is an intelligent clothing brand, whose mission is to develop and produce clothing that is easy to care for and provides comfort to the user through technology, producing it in the most sustainable way possible.
The first company to bet on the future success of Sepiia was Shuttle the accelerator of the entrepreneur Juan Roig. In 2017, Lanzadera granted a loan of 50,000 euros at 0% interest and a long repayment period, and subsequently, a capital injection of another 75,000 euros. These funds were used by Sepiia to "set up the company from scratch, create the first collection, validate the product and take off", as Sainz Robles says.
However, the company's first round of funding took place in 2018, when Sepiia raised €192,000. This second round was a success, enabling the startup to double its turnover to €600,000 in 2018.
SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING
The company exited the Lanzadera programme last June, and subsequently became part of Madrid Campusa space promoted by Google to bring together the country's entrepreneurial community. Sepiia currently has a staff of 10 people.
Earlier this year, Sepiia launched its second round of funding, with the aim of raising 400,000 euros to help the company expand. These funds have three clear aims: to open the brand's first physical space in Madrid to allow customers to get to know the product first hand; to increase its investment in marketing and branding to increase its visualisations and therefore improve sales; and to make the leap into the European, North American and Latin American markets.
