Bettter.us

What Bettter.us does

Bettter.us (legal entity Bettter, Unipessoal Lda) is a Porto, Portugal-based design-led upcycling platform that uses proprietary AI technology to convert fashion brands' deadstock inventory into exclusive limited-run collections at industrial scale. The company's core technology is its Smart Design Algorithms (SDAs) - proprietary AI that automates garment redesign, optimizes material usage, and matches each stock profile to a commercially viable product outcome while preserving brand identity. The platform is structured as three integrated layers: BETTTER ENGINE (the AI/technology layer combining deadstock analysis, SDAs, digital design adaptation, digital fitting, and analytics), Bettter Studios (the creative layer providing direction, co-design, brand integration, and seasonal collection development), and Bettter Market (the commercial layer enabling wholesale, D2C execution, and end-to-end sales tracking). A complementary PASSPORT system provides provenance traceability for each upcycled garment.

Bettter serves enterprise fashion brands and retailers with surplus or deadstock inventory, operating across luxury (Zegna, Gieves & Hawkes, DSQUARED2, Browns), sports fashion (Fila), and other premium segments. Revenue is generated through transaction fees for upcycling services, with pricing not publicly disclosed and each engagement tailored to inventory volume and project scope. Distribution is multi-pronged: enterprise direct sales with a 'Request Demo' CTA, wholesale enablement through partner brands and factories, luxury retail showcases (notably Browns in London), and luxury e-commerce partners (including Net-a-Porter).

The company is founder-led by Julie Pelipas and is independently owned with no disclosed institutional funding. Bettter won the LVMH Karl Lagerfeld Prize in 2023, establishing industry credibility. The business is positioned to capitalize on a significant regulatory tailwind: the EU's ban on destroying unsold clothes (effective July 2026 for large companies) combined with €130B of discarded fashion products and €1B of fashion surplus destroyed annually creates a large, regulatory-driven addressable market that the company directly addresses.

Name

Bettter.us

Legal name

Bettter, Unipessoal Lda

Website

https://bettter.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bettter.us is a Porto-based AI-powered upcycling platform that uses proprietary Smart Design Algorithms to transform fashion brands' deadstock inventory into exclusive limited-run collections at industrial scale, serving enterprise clients including Zegna, Fila, Gieves & Hawkes, and DSQUARED2.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Upcycling Services

akta.pro primary industry

Rental-to-Resale / Circular Fashion Platforms (CRAFAGAK)

Keywords

• AI-powered upcycling
• Fashion deadstock solutions
• Circular fashion technology
• Surplus inventory monetization
• Garment redesign automation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Upcycling Services for Fashion Brands: BETTTER transforms brands' surplus/deadstock inventory into exclusive limited-run collections. The company turns deadstock into profit for brands, monetising unsold inventory through AI-powered upcycling at industrial scale. Revenue is generated through service fees for upcycling deadstock into new products, with each collection being unique and preserving brand identity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bettter.us operates an AI-powered upcycling platform that transforms fashion brands' surplus and deadstock inventory into exclusive limited-run collections. The offering combines proprietary Smart Design Algorithms (SDAs), creative direction, R&D, prototyping, and production scaling infrastructure to convert unsold garments into new commercially viable products while preserving brand identity. End-to-end services cover deadstock analysis, redesign, validation, production, and sales/distribution enablement.

Product overview

Bettter.us is a design-led upcycling system using proprietary AI technology to transform deadstock into high-value products at industrial scale. The offering is structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture comprising three integrated layers: BETTTER ENGINE (the technology layer with AI-powered deadstock analysis, Smart Design Algorithms, automated materials selection, digital design adaptation, and digital fitting); Bettter Studios (the creative layer providing creative direction, co-design, brand integration, and seasonal collection development); and Bettter Market (the performance layer enabling wholesale, D2C execution, and end-to-end sales tracking). Additional components include the PASSPORT traceability system and physical upcycling infrastructure with robotic handling and intelligent disassembly. The platform enables brands to convert fashion surplus into scalable high-margin revenue through AI-powered upcycling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BETTTER Engine: Technology layer including Automated Raw Materials Selection (ML), Digital Design Adaptation, Smart Design Algorithms (SDAs), Digital Fitting Solution, and Analytics Platform.
• Bettter Studios
• Bettter Market

Products and services

• BETTTER Upcycling Service End-to-end upcycling service for fashion brands that transforms surplus/deadstock inventory into exclusive limited-run collections while preserving brand identity and capturing full-price revenue.
• Bettter Studios Creative services layer providing creative direction, co-design, brand integration, and seasonal collection development for upcycled fashion lines.
• Bettter Market Performance and distribution layer providing wholesale enablement, D2C execution and optimisation, and end-to-end sales tracking and reporting for upcycled fashion collections.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zegna: 500 SKUs upcycled, 12,649KG of CO2e saved, 12 Looks created
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ZegnacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBETTTER partnered with Zegna to upcycle 500 SKUs, resulting in 12,649KG of CO2e saved and 12 Looks created. This flagship partnership demonstrates industrial-scale upcycling of luxury menswear into new desirable designs while maintaining brand identity.
• FilacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBETTTER partnered with Fila to upcycle 248 SKUs, resulting in 6,274KG of CO2e saved. The collaboration was described as 'highly collaborative and fast-moving' with results showing upcycling can be both desirable and commercially viable, establishing a clear framework for future collections.
• Gieves & HawkescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBETTTER partnered with Gieves & Hawkes to upcycle 697 SKUs, resulting in 17,634KG of CO2e saved. The collaboration was praised for allowing pieces to be reimagined without losing the heritage, precision or integrity that define Gieves & Hawkes, particularly reflected in men's eveningwear tailoring reimagined into striking womenswear.
• DSQUARED2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBETTTER partnership with DSQUARED2 resulted in 12,912KG of CO2e saved, demonstrating that upcycling can work effectively for contemporary luxury fashion brands.
• BrownsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBETTTER's first physical showcase took place in partnership with Browns, marking entry into London's leading luxury retail environment. An exclusive capsule collection was created for Browns, demonstrating demand in a premium retail setting and opening the door to an ongoing luxury partnership. Elizabeth Von Der Goltz noted admiration for founder Julie Pelipas's creative vision and commitment to sustainability and inclusivity.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The RealReal: US luxury consignment and resale platform. Operates in the same circular luxury fashion category as Bettter but with a C2C consignment model; provides an indicator of scale and unit economics in luxury resale that Bettter's upcycling model must beat.
• ThredUp: US-listed recommerce platform operating a consumer-facing resale marketplace plus a Resale-as-a-Service white-label offering. Comparable as a circular-fashion incumbent addressing the same deadstock problem at much larger scale, but with a consumer marketplace rather than an upcycling design layer.
• Patagonia (Worn Wear): Patagonia's in-house resale and repair program. Comparable as an established brand-led circular initiative that demonstrates how a major apparel brand handles its own deadstock, setting competitive expectations for Bettter's brand partners.
• Vestiaire Collective: Global luxury resale marketplace. Comparable because it serves the same luxury brand and consumer base and helps recirculate excess luxury inventory, though it is a peer-to-peer C2C marketplace rather than an upcycling production partner.

Direct peers

• EON: Digital Product Passport infrastructure provider for fashion brands, mirroring Bettter's PASSPORT feature. Directly comparable as a traceability and circularity data layer that brands can integrate into product lines to meet EU Digital Product Passport rules.
• Reflaunt: Singapore-based B2B SaaS that enables luxury brands to launch circular resale and recommerce programs. Closely comparable to Bettter as a brand-facing technology layer for monetizing surplus inventory, although Reflaunt focuses on resale rather than upcycling into new SKUs.
• Trove: White-label resale and trade-in technology provider for apparel brands, including Patagonia, Levi's, and REI. Directly comparable as a B2B platform that helps brands capture value from returned and excess inventory through branded circular channels.
• Archive: Resale-as-a-service platform powering branded secondhand stores for fashion brands. Closely comparable operating model and customer base to Bettter, with overlap in enabling brands to monetize past-season inventory digitally.

Emerging players

• Worn Again Technologies: UK-based polymer recycling technology that recovers polyester and cotton from end-of-life textiles. Comparable as an emerging circular-textile player targeting the same regulatory tailwind, focused on feedstock recovery rather than brand-led upcycling.
• Renewcell: Swedish textile-to-textile recycler producing Circulose fiber from discarded garments. Adjacent in addressing the same fashion waste problem and EU regulatory backdrop, but at the materials layer rather than redesign/brand-keep production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bettter-us
• Instagraminstagram.com/bettter.us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bettter.us