News + Culture

IAMBIC Awarded $1M National Science Foundation Grant to Advance AI-Tailored Footwear

IAMBIC MODEL T precision-fit shoes recognized by the National Science Foundation for innovation in AI-driven footwear design.

Editor’s Note: This announcement references the National Science Foundation SBIR Phase II award, recognizing IAMBIC’s technology in precision-fit footwear and AI-driven design.


IAMBIC has been awarded approximately $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to advance its AI-tailored, precision-fit footwear technology.

This grant supports IAMBIC’s mission to bring made-to-measure footwear to scale — combining biomechanics, artificial intelligence, and European craftsmanship to create shoes engineered from each individual’s anatomy.

See MODEL T Details


Advancing AI, Fit, and Manufacturing

Co-founders Maeve Wang (CEO) and Chaudhry Raza Hassan (CTO) have spent over four years building IAMBIC’s proprietary Fit Engine, a system that translates biometric data into digital shoe lasts unique to each wearer. The platform integrates biomechanics, advanced modeling, and adaptive materials to redefine precision comfort and alignment.

IAMBIC leadership team portrait representing the founders behind AI-driven precision-fit footwear innovation

“NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “We take great pride in funding deep-technology startups and small businesses that will shape science and engineering results into meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow.”

Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

The award marks a significant milestone for IAMBIC as it scales its research and production infrastructure. The grant will help expand the company’s precision-fit manufacturing in Portugal and further refine AI systems that model fit, pressure distribution, and movement in real-world conditions.


Scaling Innovation and Industry Collaboration

The NSF Phase II award positions IAMBIC to advance sustainable, data-driven footwear production and explore partnerships across footwear, health, and performance categories. The team’s technology enables personalization at scale — reducing returns, material waste, and inefficiencies common in mass manufacturing.

“This sets the stage for our next phase of growth as we scale manufacturing, expand our product line, and collaborate with partners shaping the future of design,” said Wang.

Maeve Wang, Co-Founder & CEO, IAMBIC

Delivering Precision-Fit Footwear

IAMBIC’s flagship shoe, the MODEL T, is now available to customers. Each pair begins with a 3D smartphone scan that maps more than twenty biometric variables per foot. The Fit Engine converts this data into a made-to-fit digital last, and European artisans craft each pair with adaptive materials designed for alignment, endurance, and motion.

The new NSF funding strengthens ongoing research in AI modeling and custom manufacturing, supporting a more precise, automated path from digital scan to physical shoe.


What the Grant Supports

  • AI Fit Models: Translating a 3-image smartphone scan into a made-to-fit last.
  • Sole Print™ Feedback: Using wear data to enhance future pairs.
  • Digital-to-Physical Craft: Refining the link between geometry, modeling, and European manufacturing.
  • Platform Expansion: Testing across devices and scaling data precision globally.

Background & Recognition

  • Validated at scale: 50,000+ scans; 98% scan-to-last match accuracy.
  • Protected IP: 12 patent-pending innovations across biomechanics and fit modeling.
  • Recognition: Named a TIME Best Invention.
  • Ecosystem support: Featured by the Stony Brook Center for Biotechnology.
  • Design & Craft: Designed in New York City. Crafted in Portugal.

About IAMBIC

IAMBIC builds precision-fit footwear from your 3D smartphone scan. Each model maps more than twenty biometric variables per foot and evolves through your feedback over time. Our Signature Fit Guarantee covers unlimited refits to ensure lasting precision and comfort.


About the NSF SBIR Program

The National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program supports early-stage technology companies translating science and engineering discoveries into real-world applications. Phase II awards fund development, validation, and commercialization of technologies with broad market potential.


Media Contact

For press inquiries, please contact us here.


Sources & Helpful Links

IAMBIC is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent medical conditions.

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