AI bra-fitting start-up Brarista expands to US and Australia after £510k raise

Manchester femtech start-up Brarista, which uses AI for bra fitting, has expanded into new international markets and product categories since its £510k pre-seed round led by GC Angels in February 2025.

In less than a year it has gone from a single beta partnership to a platform operating in the UK, US and Australia. It now covers everyday bras, sports bras, maternity bras, swimwear, loungewear and specialist bra balancers, reaching women at more stages of life.

Bella Trang Ngo founded Brarista in 2019 to tackle a long-standing retail problem: an estimated 70% to 80% of women wear the wrong bra size.

The platform combines professional bra fitting with AI to offer personalised sizing, product recommendations and round-the-clock support. Poor fit affects comfort and confidence and contributes to a £10bn annual returns problem in lingerie, with many returned items ending up in landfill.

Retail partners

Backed by GC Angels and Innovate UK, Brarista has grown its retail partnerships and now works with Nudea, Little Women, Evenly, Latched, Marbra, Lou Swim and Boobydoo.

Retailers using its conversational AI have reported an 85% fall in returns among chat users, a fivefold increase in conversion rates and a 15% cut in operating costs.

The company also points to wider benefits. Research shows breasts can move up to 15cm during exercise without proper support, causing pain and long-term tissue damage and putting girls and women off sport. By moving into sports bras and supporting online advice for specialist retailers such as Boobydoo, Brarista says it is helping remove one barrier to women taking part in physical activity.

The platform has been designed for underserved groups, including post-surgery customers, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, transgender and non-binary shoppers, and neurodivergent people who may find in-store fittings overwhelming.

Founder and investor

Ngo, founder and CEO, said: “Since partnering with GC Angels last year, we’ve been able to accelerate our mission at pace, expanding internationally, supporting more product categories and, most importantly, reaching more women who have historically been underserved by the lingerie industry.”

“We’re not just building a generic chatbot. We’re building fit infrastructure that removes barriers stopping women and girls from participating fully in work, sport and everyday life. Looking ahead, we plan to continue growing the platform into new markets and categories, helping even more women find the confidence, comfort and support they deserve.”

Ranvir Singh, investment manager at GC Angels, said: “Brarista’s growth over the past year has been exceptional. Bella is a great example of the talent here in the North of England, using cutting-edge AI and innovation to deliver both strong commercial results and real social impact for women.”

“It’s been amazing to work with her as she continues to expand internationally, while also sharing her insights and experience with other entrepreneurs through our Venture Forward Accelerator programme. We’re proud to continue supporting Brarista as it scales globally.”