6 Startups Shaping Retail’s Future

Six cutting-edge tech firms seeing to to help retailers attain a competitive edge have been selected by the NY Fashion Tech Lab to take part in a 3-month program of weekly sessions, workshops and introductions with the lab’s expert network and key strategic partners.

Launched in 2014, NYFTLab has partnered with over 40-plus leading retail, brand and corporate partners who support and participate as part of the experience. This year’s retail and brand partners include AEO Inc., Gap Inc., J.Crew Group, lululemon, Saks Global, The TJX Cos. Inc. and Tapestry.

This year’s participating start-ups are:

• Athena Studios, which offers a virtual assistant to help retailers speed the development of new fashion products.
• KSI Vision, which lets retailers integrate their existing security cameras with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to obtain people and vehicle counting analytics to increase turnover and increase the performance of physical spaces.
• LiquiDonate, which provides a mechanism for diverting unsellable inventory directly to a nonprofit in need, rather than seeing it sent to a landfill.
• Slip, a provider of digital receipts which allow retailers to transform shopping into a more rewarding, engaging experience.
• Spangle AI, which creates self-optimizing shopping journeys at scale that are contextually relevant, deliver one-to-one interactions, and adapt based on consumer engagement in real time.
• Vody, a generative AI system for retailers and restaurants that understands customers’ needs, enhances product discoverability, personalizes customer journeys and readily scales.

“Each year, the selected companies reflect the industry’s most pressing priorities, and 2025 is no different,” Jackie Trebilcock, Managing Director, NY Fashion Tech Lab. “This year’s cohort is tackling key areas such as the circular economy, product development, personalization, the customer journey, in-store analytics and post-purchase solutions. These innovations are more than just trends; they represent real, practical applications that drive efficiency, deepen consumer engagement and enhance loyalty, all while addressing sustainability for our future.”

The program’s weekly sessions are getting underway; once they are finished,  NYFTLab will let have participants strut their stuff at a cohort showcase/demo day on June 17 at HSBC-The Spiral at Hudson Yards in New York.

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