The Seam raises £250,000 to fight fast fashion and scale bespoke online alteration business

23 November 2021 – The Seam, a new, digital platform revolutionising clothes care and repair services, has raised a £250,000 pre-seed round, with Jenson Funding Partners as the lead investor. The funding will allow the business to increase the speed of its product offering, scale up the team and expand into other regions.

Founded by Layla Sargent, The Seam is designed as a way to connect consumers and tailors with the aim of reducing waste from fast fashion by repairing or altering clothes. With an online network of over 700 makers across Greater London, serving thousands of people who are booking their services, The Seam platform empowers wearers to have a personalised connection with their clothes. 

Layla was inspired by her grandmother, a professional seamstress, who would often mend her clothes as she was growing up. She recognised that other people had a different relationship with fashion – discarding old clothes instead of repairing or remaking them. It was this inspiration that formed the foundation of The Seam. What started as an evening and weekend project, using flyers asking people if they can sew, soon grew into hundreds of users registering their interest within months.

In addition to Layla at the helm with her lifelong experience of tailoring, The Seam is supported by an experienced team including Bonnie Carr, whose previous roles include UK operations and Community Manager at Taskrabbit. 

Jenson’s established presence in the early-stage VC ecosystem has allowed the firm to shape the landscape of startup investment over the past decade. The firm’s track record of investment into diverse startups, supporting businesses with minority and female-led teams across the UK, has made them an ideal fund to support The Seam’s growth.  

Layla Sargent, Founder and CEO of The Seam, says:

“Now more than ever it’s important to change consumers’ relationship with the clothes they own. The environmental impact of fast fashion hasn’t gone unnoticed and major brands are under pressure to offer a more sustainable solution to the industry. The Seam not only allows wearers to have a deeper connection with the clothes they own but also allows individuals to reduce their impact on fashion waste through maintaining their wardrobe – repairing, rather than discarding the items they own. This funding round will allow The Seam to grow and offer even more consumers its services across the UK.”

Jeffrey Faustin, CIO of Jenson Funding Partners said:

“We are always on the search for innovative businesses led by passionate and driven founders like Layla. Layla has identified an original idea for the market, fusing the traditional area of alterations with digital and tapping into the importance of sustainability and reducing waste with great commercial potential. We look forward to seeing how The Seam continues to grow.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About Jenson Funding Partners LLP

Jenson Funding Partners is the approachable startup investment firm specialising in working with founders throughout their early-stage growth – from pre-seed to Series A. Its diverse and experienced team understands what a business needs at each stage and combines quickly deployed capital with hands-on support to successfully scale the companies in their

portfolio and deliver returns for investors. Jenson Funding Partners have launched five SEIS and four EIS Funds. We are now on our 13th tranche and have invested more than £18.5 million in over 110 entrepreneurial UK businesses which have typically launched their product or service and are typically close to or post-revenue. In addition, we have supported 25 follow-on funding rounds, all at a premium to initial launch cost based on external valuations. Jenson Funding Partners LLP is the Fund Manager of the Jenson SEIS and EIS Funds and is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’) and its FCA registration number is 820516.

About The Seam

The Seam empowers wearers to have a more personalised and purposeful connection with their wardrobes. Built on the belief that loved clothes last a lifetime, The Seam makes perfect fit and delicate repairs accessible to everyone. Their online platform allows wearers to browse and connect with over 700+ Makers to find the right specialist and book a service. Currently, the platform is available in Greater London and soon to expand to new locations.