Iambic Steps Ahead With $1M Grant to Scale AI Sneaker Fit
The AI-driven and precision-fit sneaker company Iambic hit the ground running last April (pun intended) with the help of a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) last April.
Co-founded by Harvard alum Maeve Wang and Stony Brook University PhD graduate Chaudhry Raza Hassan in 2020, the New Yorkers struggled to find its footing, so to speak, before landing on the last (the foot-shaped mold shoes are built around). Combining Iambic’s proprietary AI algorithms, smartphone foot scanner and adaptive sole system resulted in the Model T: custom kicks based on biomechanics for a fraction of the price expected of sizeless, leather sneakers.
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That shoe, the Iambic Model T, was named one of Time’s Best Innovations of 2023 and released nine months ahead of schedule.
Now, a little over a year later, the bespoke brand has been awarded just under $1 million in grant funding from NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This funding—$990,900, to be exact—will enable the startup to scale its precision-fit shoe design and manufacturer capabilities.
“With the National Science Foundation, we’re able to take the technology we’ve built to date and enhance our AI algorithms and shoe design for greater personalization, massive scalability, and expand our proprietary Sole Print System—which makes each subsequent pair of Iambic shoes fit even better for each individual—and at large,” Wang said. “This sets us up not only to scale manufacturing and expand our product collection, but to forge industry partnerships for co-branded footwear collections that make our tech accessible to even more customers.”
The product collection currently offered by the startup uses technology developed with previous NSF support, now augmented with this Phase II funding. Iambic’s automated solution for precision-fit footwear is threefold, encompassing a smartphone app that scans feet and collects fit preferences using AI, automated personalization of the shoe mold to ensure a perfect fit and adaptable shoe components that adjust to an individual’s unique foot shape.
“NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for technology, innovation and partnerships. “We take great pride in funding deep-technology startups and small businesses that will shape science and engineering results into meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow.”
The NSF’s SBIR program provides “non-dilutive grants for research and development of technologies that could have societal and economic impacts,” the government entity said in a statement. The group’s mission is to foster a culture of innovation within the United States by giving “technology-focused entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses funding to develop their ideas and a pathway to commercialization.”
Phase II of the program encompasses the “technology development” stage and stipulates that Iambic, in this instance, has 24 months to reach a certain level of scalability for accessibility in both volume and price point.
“In this next phase of our R&D, we are enhancing our AI technology to the next level to scale personalized fit by combining machine learning, computer vision, biomechanics, gait and adaptive manufacturing,” Hassan said. “Through NSF support, we have a solid foundation for our technology which allows us to enhance the capabilities of our fit algorithms with additional data collection and fit testing of our personalized fit shoes and components.”
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