OWNI adds digital wardrobe technology to its second-hand marketplace
Devon-based tech startup OWNI has launched its AI digital wardrobe technology, which tracks the ownership of second-hand items and incorporates brands into the resale market.
The OWNI marketplace aims to create a fully circular economy where brands can share in users’ profits in the form of royalties for items originally produced by them. Its partners currently include the independent labels of Lowie, Komodo Fashion, People Tree, Gung Ho London, and Fanfare Label.
The platform emulates the usual buying experience on first-party sites, incorporating typical features like a one-tap selling process and free returns and shipping for purchases over £50. Their Verified product scheme further streamlines the process, allowing immediate payments for items confirmed as genuine originals.
OWNI was founded in 2021 by fashion entrepreneurs Kalkidan Legesse and Vidmantas Markevicius, who saw an opportunity to combat the throwaway culture of fast fashion by simplifying and legitimising the second-hand marketplace.
It has since received backing from Google and secured £350,000 of investment last year from angel investors and VCs. This year, the startup is targeting its first 100,000 UK users, with ambitions to expand into other markets overseas.
Kalkidan said: “Nothing else like OWNI exists in the resale market. We have created a marketplace which completely rethinks the way we buy, sell and own our belongings.
“We’re all aware that the more we consume, the greater the impact on the planet. We want to end the impact of fashion on the climate and help people organise what they own to provide more shared value. Our vision is to make second-hand first choice to improve sustainability for all.”
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