Singapore-based fashion app Browzzin is set to launch in India this week. The company’s founders intend to spend $ 3 million (about Rs 20 crore) on the Indian market to expand business here. This is a ‘shop-the-look’ app which implements artificial intelligence for online and offline clothing discovery.
The business is backed by former Asian e-tail website Zalora CEO and co-founder, Harry Markl and its former regional brand manager, Zean Vo. Prior to launching the app, Markl was managing director of consumer-focused PE fund, L Catterton Asia, formed through the partnership of Catterton, LVMH and Groupe Arnault.
Browzzin will use affiliate and social media marketing to help influencers generate income by sharing their curated tastes through the app. The more its users snap and post, the greater their earning potential, says Markl.
Currently, apps like Instagram make influencers manually ‘tag’ brands on their post while Browzzin claims it uses AI to detect all fashion items on every uploaded image to match with the most similar product available on its partner websites.
For its India operations, Browzzin is working with a plethora of online brands to build a directory of about two million products, Next, it plans to go to offline retailers as well.
“Many offline players have inventory that is much larger than that which is available online (80-85% more). Some of these offlline stores were struggling even before the pandemic. We intend to onboard these offline stores in India and let them upload their inventory in order to help increase their sales,” says Markl.
Users, in turn, can use the app to find fashion and styles from a community of fashionistas using Visual Recognition technology.
Co-founder Vo adds, “The Indian fashion industry is fascinating since it has a strong heritage and beautiful craftsmanship. This is a digital-savvy audience. Our goal is to help content creators and fashion lovers to discover ready-to-buy products.”
All uploaded photos automatically become a shoppable billboard. As users purchase products, the influencer who shares the photo collects sale value.
Brands like Browzzin also make a commission when the sale goes through. The app will be headed by Sumanto Das in India.
Another reselling app, Meesho, backed by Facebook and Naspers saw a lot of buzz last year when it announced that it had raised $ 125 million in its Series D funding round, led by South African media and internet group Naspers. The round valued Meesho at $ 700 million. It also had participation from Facebook in the same round.
