Serena Williams, a founding partner of Serena Ventures, has recently supported a startup led by Black women that utilizes facial recognition and Artificial Intelligence to offer customizable wigs to consumers.
The startup, named Parfait, has secured $5 million in seed funding with backing from Serena Ventures and Upfront Ventures, as reported by Afrotech.
In addition to Serena Ventures, other investors in Parfait include Ulú Ventures, Unshackled Ventures, Contrary Capital, Visible Hands, TRUE Capital’s Culture Fund, Omar Johnson, Chamillionaire, Tristan Walker, and Upland Workshop.
Parfait's leadership team includes CEO Isoken Igbinedion and her sister CTO Ifueko Igbinedion, along with COO Marlyse Reeves and CMO Simone Kendle.
Serena Williams expressed her support for Parfait's mission in a statement, highlighting the startup's use of AI to address critical issues in technology and communities of color.
Parfait combines advanced technology with the wig industry to personalize the process of purchasing human hair units and reduce biases faced by people of color in technology.
Customers can select textures, lengths, and styles for their units, which are customized with plucked hairlines and tints. Parfait's technology can analyze head measurements and skin tones using just four images.
The company also offers personalized consultations to assist customers, including those dealing with hair loss due to cancer or alopecia.
The seed funding will enable Parfait to scale up production, automate its supply chain, and enhance its competitiveness in the wig and hair extension market, according to details from Fast Company.
The company's CTO emphasized the importance of human interaction within their AI system, acknowledging that AI may not be flawless and stressing the need for accurate predictions through human oversight.
Parfait aims to expand its technology to address beauty and fashion challenges beyond hair customization by leveraging diverse datasets and innovative thinking to find solutions.
In conclusion, Parfait represents a pioneering example of using technology to meet the specific needs of consumers while advocating for diversity and inclusivity in the development of AI solutions.