LONDON – AI-driven inventory management platform, Autone, which helps fashion and other retailers optimise demand forecasting and reduce waste, has secured US$17m in Series A funding.
The funding round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from existing investors, including Speedinvest, YCombinator, Seedcamp, 2100VC, Motier, Financière Saint James, and business angels connected to LVMH, Sephora, and Moncler.
Autone will use the new funds to enhance product development, expand its operations, and increase hiring across the US and Europe.
Adil Bouhdadi, CEO of Autone, said: “Autone isn’t just designed for the C-suite—it’s built for everyone who uses it. Our platform transforms passive data into actionable insights, allowing retail professionals to see the return on investment in real-time and make confident decisions. We’ve taken a step back to understand how AI can genuinely benefit users. Retailers are overwhelmed by data that most tools, especially spreadsheets, can’t fully leverage. Autone helps unlock profitability by reducing excess inventory and improving sales.”
“AI isn’t just about automation and predictions; it’s about empowering users with deeper expertise. The future of retail is not just about sales and inventory—it’s tied to sustainability. We’re showing the industry that smarter inventory, not more inventory, is the way forward,” Bouhdadi added.
Founded in 2021 by Bouhdadi and Harry Glucksmann-Cheslaw, who previously developed intelligence tools for Alexander McQueen, Autone’s platform is used by more than 50 global brands, including Courreges, Roberto Cavalli, Stussy, and Zadig & Voltaire. It helps retailers in accurately predicting demand, driving sales, reducing waste, and cutting down manual labour. By integrating internal and external data, Autone employs predictive analytics and machine learning to detect trends, forecast demand, and anticipate inventory requirements.
The platform leverages AI and large language models (LLMs) to explain the rationale behind stock recommendations, which can be actioned with a single click.
With this latest funding round, Autone has raised over US$20m in total. The company’s revenue has surged six-fold since its previous funding round, with its client base expanding from high-end fashion brands to mid-market retailers in beauty, accessories, sportswear, and homeware across the UK, US, France, Germany, and the UAE.
Zeynep Yavuz of General Catalyst said: “Inventory management is a critical and increasingly complex challenge for retailers. With Autone, we’re backing an exceptional team with deep retail expertise and a vision to help mid-market retailers make smarter, data-driven decisions. We’re excited to support Autone on its journey to becoming a leading player in AI-powered retail technology.”