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 platform.
The grant supports IAMBIC’s mission to scale made-to-measure footwear, combining biomechanics, artificial intelligence, and European craftsmanship to create shoes engineered from each individual’s anatomy.
Advancing AI, fit, and manufacturing
Co-founders Maeve Wang (CEO) and Chaudhry Raza Hassan (CTO) have spent over four years developing IAMBIC’s proprietary Fit Engine, a system that transforms biometric data into digital lasts unique to each wearer. The platform integrates biomechanics, advanced modeling, and adaptive materials to redefine precision comfort and alignment.
“NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services,” said Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “We are proud to fund deep-technology startups shaping science and engineering into meaningful real-world solutions.”
Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director, National Science Foundation
The award marks a major milestone as IAMBIC scales its research and production infrastructure. The funding will expand precision manufacturing in Portugal and further refine AI systems that model fit, pressure distribution, and movement in real-world conditions.
Scaling innovation and collaboration
The NSF Phase II award positions IAMBIC to advance sustainable, data-driven footwear production while exploring collaborations across health, performance, and design sectors. The company’s technology enables personalization at scale, reducing returns, waste, and inefficiencies in mass manufacturing.
“This marks our next phase of growth as we expand production, broaden our product line, and partner with innovators defining the future of footwear,” said Wang.
Maeve Wang, Co-Founder and CEO, IAMBIC
Delivering precision-fit footwear
IAMBIC’s flagship model, the MODEL T, is available to customers today. 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, which European artisans use to craft each pair for alignment, endurance, and fluid motion.
The NSF funding strengthens ongoing research in AI modeling and automated manufacturing, creating a more efficient path from digital scan to handcrafted shoe.
What the grant supports
- AI fit modeling: Translating 3-image smartphone scans into precision digital lasts.
- Sole Print™ feedback: Integrating real wear data to enhance future designs.
- Digital-to-physical craft: Refining the link between modeling, geometry, and European production.
- Platform expansion: Testing across devices and improving data precision globally.
Background and recognition
- Validated at scale: Over 50,000 scans with 98% accuracy between scan and last.
- Protected IP: 12 patent-pending innovations in biomechanics and fit modeling.
- Recognition: Named a TIME Best Invention.
- Ecosystem support: Featured by the Stony Brook Center for Biotechnology.
- Design and craft: Designed in New York City and handcrafted in Portugal.
About IAMBIC
IAMBIC builds precision-fit footwear from a 3D smartphone scan. Each pair maps over twenty biometric variables per foot and evolves through real-world feedback. Every model is crafted in Portugal and backed by the Signature Fit Guarantee with unlimited refits for lasting precision and comfort.
About the NSF SBIR Program
The National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program supports early-stage companies developing technologies with national impact. Phase II awards fund development, validation, and commercialization of innovations that bridge science and real-world application.
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Sources and helpful links
IAMBIC is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent medical conditions.
