Editor’s note: This article references a Crunchbase News feature on AI and fashion that features IAMBIC. It frames the funding picture across trend prediction, personalization, and precision fit.
Investor interest in AI and fashion is rising. The Crunchbase piece highlights teams working on trend engines and merchandising, and it calls out companies building precision fit. IAMBIC sits in that camp for our work in AI-tailored, precision-fit footwear.
Our fit engine learns from 50,000+ profiles and delivers 98%+ fit accuracy across devices.
If you want personalized guidance before you order, take the Fit Guide Quiz for personalized fit guidance.
What capital is backing right now
Funding flows to platforms that mine social and sales signals to anticipate demand. Personalization and discovery tools get attention, which shows a maturing category. That context sets the stage for fit that serves people in real work.
Precision fit for executives
Executives buy outcomes. Precision fit supports outcomes you feel every day:
- Less foot fatigue in meetings and on travel days
- Better posture support over distance
- Fewer returns from poor fit
- A product relationship that improves with wear data
Explore how the system works on our Technology page, see the product in MODEL T, and get the basics in IAMBIC 101.
Quick details: Made to fit. Crafted in Portugal. Ships in about 4 to 6 weeks after your consultation. Signature Fit Guarantee with unlimited refits.
Inside the Precision Fit Program
Think of the Precision Fit Program as an ongoing fit relationship. First, order your MODEL T. After checkout, we send a link to complete a short smartphone Virtual Consultation. You’ll take three photos of each foot while standing on printer paper and answer a brief comfort profile. You wear your shoes through life. Your Sole Print and feedback guide each next step. Over time, materials, last geometry, and support adapt to your body and routine.
- The foundation → AI-tailored footwear
- How it improves with miles → Evolutionary Shoe Program
- Prefer concierge care → White Glove Service
For travel weeks and conference season
Events and flights ask a lot from your feet. Short walks between sessions restore circulation and focus. Pair that routine with precision-fit footwear so comfort holds from morning to evening. For a deeper look at movement and performance, read How Walking Strengthens Executive Health and Performance.
Signals we track
We build a system that learns from real feet and real wear. These are the signals we watch and improve against.
- Fit accuracy (98%+). Our smartphone scan and AI design pipeline deliver high-fidelity fit, validated on lab-grade 3D benchmarks across a large dataset.
- Dataset scale (50,000+ profiles). We train and test on a proprietary corpus of foot scans, footwear history, and fit outcomes, which improves pattern recognition for hard-to-fit feet.
- Per-scan signal depth (20+ variables). Each scan captures 3D geometry and 20+ variables that inform last design and pressure redistribution.
- Wear-pattern feedback. Sole wear bars record how you move. That longitudinal signal guides adjustments on future pairs for alignment, balance, and comfort.
- Post-purchase outcomes. We review return reasons, repeat-purchase timing, and fit adjustments from pair one to pair two. Direction of travel matters.
Independent validation and recognition
- National Science Foundation, SBIR Phase II. Active award supporting AI-driven personalization for scalable custom-fit footwear. NSF award page
- Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University. Program support and commercialization guidance documented in public updates. CFB update
- Harvard Innovation Labs. Recognition and venture support across programs. HIL note
- TIME Best Invention of the Year. MODEL T recognized for sizeless, AI-tailored fit and a learning product loop. TIME feature
- Press benchmarking. Coverage in The Wall Street Journal and Shape on AI-tailored fit and the Model T workflow: WSJ and Shape
For investors: What to evaluate
- Comfort during long days and flights
- Posture support over distance
- Institutional validation and measured outcomes
- Adaptation with real-world wear
See how the fit engine learns with wear.
About the Crunchbase News Author
Marlize van Romburgh is Crunchbase News’ Editor in Chief, leading a team of journalists doing data-driven reporting on venture capital and private companies. She previously held newsroom leadership roles at the Silicon Valley Business Journal and San Francisco Business Times and spent the early part of her career covering local banking and commercial real estate for business publications.
Source
Read Crunchbase’s snapshot of AI and fashion funding for the wider market view, including the call-out that names IAMBIC among companies working on precision fit.
FAQs
How does the IAMBIC process work from start to finish?
Step 1: Order your MODEL T. Start on the product page and place your order.
Step 2: Complete your Virtual Consultation on your smartphone. We send a link after checkout. You’ll take three photos of each foot while standing on printer paper and answer a brief comfort profile.
Step 3: We craft and ship. Your custom-fit pair is made in Portugal and ships in about 4 to 6 weeks.
If you want personalized fit guidance before ordering, take the Fit Guide Quiz.
What is the IAMBIC Fit Guide Quiz and how long does it take?
About 90 seconds. You get personalized fit guidance and links to resources that match your needs. Use it if you want guidance before ordering.
How is precision fit different from trend prediction?
Trend tools help brands chase what sells. Precision fit focuses on the person wearing the product. It supports comfort, posture, and daily performance.
What outcomes can an executive expect from better fit?
Less fatigue, more focus during long meetings and travel, and fewer returns. Many buyers describe it as the shift from getting through the day to feeling present in it.
What should I try first for travel fatigue?
Start with short walking breaks and footwear designed for precision fit over distance. If you want personalized fit guidance, take the Fit Guide Quiz.
Is precision-fit footwear appropriate for boardrooms?
Yes. The goal is executive-grade comfort with a clean, professional profile. The MODEL T was built for daily work wear.
The most interesting thing about them being crafted just for me is how well they fit. And I hadnever even noticed that my shoes didn't fit right. My other shoes don't hurt me - they just slosharound. With these, the heels actually stay on the whole time and it fits snugly yet stillcomfortably. And I'd never experienced that before. They just stay comfortable all day.
As a runner, as an athlete, just knowing that I'm doing a good service to my body is incredible.It’s the reason that I love my IAMBIC shoes. It's that precision that makes me feel safe to walkdown the street, get on the subway, do my commute, bring my kids to school, and not feelconcerned that I'm doing it in a shoe that doesn't fit right or that doesn't feel good.
The thing that I was surprised by the most with the precision fit is that any pressure points thatI had been feeling with the shoes that I previously came in wearing were completely gone. I waswearing a shoe that wasn't too tight. It wasn't too loose. The sole fit just right. Total comfort.That's the best way to put it.
So I suffer from chronic foot pain and I believe that a lot of that has to do with wearing shoesthat actually don't fit. Whenever I wear my IAMBICs, I've noticed that I have felt less pain,which is really incredible. And they're just so comfortable. I'm not worried about the back of my heel popping out or my ankles not having enough support. Also, they're just so stylish andevery timeI wear them out in the street, I always get compliments, which never happens to me.
A shoe that may feel comfortable for a half hour walk is not a shoe that always feels comfortablefor a three and a half hour walk. So what I like about IAMBIC is, even though the snug fit isthere and it feels comfortable, it also feels substantial enough that I can walk a lot withoutgetting any discomfort. That's just something that's especially important to me and I think theshoe has really delivered that.
The first moment that I tried on my IAMBIC shoes, I noticed a difference. I have small feet. So whenever I try on shoes, I usually expect them to not fit. If they do fit, there's usually some sort of discomfort, whether that's in the toe box or too much space or at the heel. So knowing that this shoe was tailored to my foot was really meaningful. It's rare that you find a shoe like IAMBIC that truly is comfortable, but also hits the markers of style versatility.
I think we're all placed on this earth as unique individuals. None of us are really off the rack in terms of sizing. So for me to have that experience of having something made specifically for me that fit perfectly was something that was a little bit mind blowing. And once I got the shoes, I tried them on, they looked great, they felt great. And honestly, they fit like a glove.