French fashion tech company BLNG secures $3 million in funding to expand its AI-driven design tools for the jewelry sector.
French fashion technology company BLNG has successfully raised $3 million in a funding round aimed at accelerating its commercialization of generative AI solutions tailored for the jewelry industry. This investment round was led by Speedinvest, with additional contributions from Cove Fund, eSeed, and Focal.
The additional capital will facilitate an expansion of BLNG’s team across Europe and the United States, allowing the company to scale its AI-powered design tools. Alongside this growth, the company is preparing for the broader launch of its subscription-based app.
BLNG was founded by Valérie Leblond, a former creative director at Cirque du Soleil, and Dumëne Comploi, who previously worked with Disney Imagineering. The company has developed a suite of innovative tools designed for jewelry professionals, which transform sketches into photorealistic designs. This technology significantly streamlines the design process, minimizing the time and effort required for revisions.
Currently, BLNG’s technology is being tested by several major luxury brands, reflecting its growing impact within the $482 billion jewelry market. Their achievements include winning the esteemed LVMH Innovation Award for Data and Artificial Intelligence solutions at the Viva Tech conference, as well as being recognized in Vogue Business’s 2024 list of “100 Innovators.”
“Gone are the days of endless revisions and painstaking rendering processes,” stated Valérie Leblond, Co-founder and CEO of BLNG, in comments attributed to Tech.eu. She emphasized that the company’s technology allows creative teams to visualize their concepts with remarkable precision, thereby providing them with more time for designing, experimenting, and collaborating, rather than waiting for manual iterations. “Our vision with both our funding and app launch is to broaden access to these powerful tools for jewelry creators at every level, from major luxury houses to independent designers,” Leblond further explained.
The timing of BLNG’s innovations comes amid significant shifts within the jewelry market, which is currently grappling with declining diamond prices and intense pressure for brands to innovate and stand out. In a recent report from Bain & Company, it was highlighted that 78 percent of large luxury brands regard AI as one of their top strategic priorities for the next three years, indicating a broader trend towards the adoption of AI technologies to enhance design and production processes.
Max Wilhelm, a partner at Speedinvest, expressed strong support for BLNG, stating, “We fell in love with BLNG when they showcased their solution with infectious passion combined with a pipeline of the Top Tier Luxury Brands. Operating in the luxury and jewelry industry requires the highest quality, innovation, and trust – three components the founders executed extremely well on.” Wilhelm also noted that “the jewelry market is at an inflection point, and BLNG is ideally positioned to lead this technological evolution.”
Source: Noah Wire Services
