ZERØTEC

High-Level Overview

ZERØTEC is a London-based fashion tech startup founded in 2024 that builds a B2B SaaS platform using AI and machine learning to optimize pattern design and nesting in apparel manufacturing.[1][2][3][4] It serves designers, production teams, and fashion brands by tackling textile waste—a $200-300 billion annual industry problem—through data-driven tools that rearrange pattern pieces to reduce fabric usage by up to 15% per garment and save two kilos of carbon emissions each.[1][2][3][8] The company has secured £642,000 in pre-seed funding led by Bethnal Green Ventures, plus Innovate UK support via the Creative Catalyst program, enabling team expansion, international client wins, and early partnerships with high-street retailers and academic institutions.[1][3][7]

This positions ZERØTEC at the intersection of sustainability and profitability in circular fashion, with demonstrated early traction including a patented ML-powered optimization tool and plans for global scaling.[1][3]

Origin Story

ZERØTEC was founded in 2024 by Nicholas Betts, a designer and pattern cutter with firsthand experience in fashion inefficiencies from his prior retail venture, Zero London, where he developed analogue processes to minimize fabric waste.[1][3][4] The idea emerged from Betts' frustration with the industry's 60 billion square meters of pre-production fabric waste, prompting him to digitize these manual methods into a scalable platform.[1][3]

A pivotal moment came when ZERØTEC joined Innovate UK's £30 million Creative Catalyst program, which validated their work, funded digitization, and unlocked B2B SaaS capabilities, new revenue streams, and team growth to include three additional members.[1][6] This support led to their first international clients via the Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP), visits to Canada for advanced manufacturing insights, and the £642k pre-seed round in 2025 led by Bethnal Green Ventures.[1][3][6][7]

Core Differentiators

• AI/ML-Powered Optimization: Automated nesting and pattern rearrangement at the design stage cuts fabric waste by up to 15%, outperforming conventional methods and saving costs/carbon without altering garments.[1][2][3][8]
• Patented Technology: Exclusive ML tool for fabric optimization, born from founder expertise, sets it apart in a wasteful industry.[3]
• User-Centric B2B SaaS: Intuitive platform for designers/production teams, with early integrations into academic curricula to build a student-to-professional user pipeline.[3][5]
• Proven Early Wins: Partnerships with high-street retailers, Innovate UK validation, and international expansion via GBIP, demonstrating real-world impact like material/carbon savings.[1][6]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

ZERØTEC rides the wave of circular fashion and AI-driven sustainability, addressing a core design flaw in an industry losing $200-300 billion yearly to pre-shelf waste amid rising ESG pressures and regulations.[1][3][8] Timing is ideal: post-2020 supply chain disruptions and consumer demand for green tech amplify AI's role in optimizing legacy processes, with similar platforms gaining traction via education-first strategies.[3]

Market forces like fabric scarcity, carbon taxes, and fast fashion scrutiny favor ZERØTEC, influencing the ecosystem by embedding waste-reduction tools in designer training and production—potentially reprogramming global apparel manufacturing toward profitability and net-zero goals.[1][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Next for ZERØTEC: complete pre-seed scaling, expand the team, secure global clients beyond early wins, and replicate fashion successes in adjacent industries like advanced manufacturing.[1][6] Trends like AI democratization in supply chains and mandatory sustainability reporting will propel them, evolving their influence from UK startup to industry leader in efficient tech.[1][3]

This builds on their mission to digitize circularity at the source, turning waste into a competitive edge for fashion's digital future.[1][2]