Design

Amsterdam-based startup VNYX has raised more than €1 million in funding to scale its robotics and AI systems designed to automate fashion resale and reduce textile waste.

The funding – which includes a mix of strategic investment and government grants – marks the company’s transition into a post-revenue phase, with early commercial deployments already under way.

VNYX is positioning itself at the intersection of robotics, AI, and circular economy logistics, targeting one of the fashion industry’s most complex operational challenges: processing returns, overstock, and secondhand garments at scale.

Automating resale operations

At the core of the company’s approach is a combination of proprietary hardware and AI-driven software designed to automate garment handling and processing.

VNYX says its system has already reduced processing times from 19 minutes to around 3 minutes per item, with a goal of reaching its “1-minute promise” – a benchmark it believes would make resale more efficient and profitable than traditional retail disposal methods.

The company’s current system, VNYX10, is deployed with partners including BOAS and Bever, processing up to 10,000 items annually and generating early revenue.

“Beyond the capital, our progress is driven by a world-class team and advisors whose dedication to stop fashion waste has turned a bold vision into reality in just 12 months” says Vincent van der Holst, co-founder and CEO of VNYX.

Hardware-software integration and scaling challenge

The company’s development has been supported by a network of technical and financial partners, reflecting the complexity of building integrated robotics systems for industrial use.

These include deeptech investors such as Baltic Business Angels and Squads Fund, as well as engineering partner Spark Design & Innovation, which is contributing to the physical development of the VNYX hardware platform.

Additional backing has come from Stichting DOEN, Earthstar, and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, which has provided non-dilutive funding to support research and development.

Toward high-throughput resale robotics

Looking ahead, VNYX is preparing to scale its technology with the rollout of higher-capacity systems.

The next-generation VNYX100 system – capable of processing up to 100,000 items per year – is scheduled for delivery to BOAS in June 2026.

Beyond that, the company is developing the VNYX1000, which it describes as a large-scale robotics and AI system designed to handle more than 1 million items annually in industrial resale environments.

“Any brand who wants to go below one minute with us can join right now. We dump and burn one garbage truck of textile every three seconds, so every second counts. The right time to act is now,” says Romy Goedhart, co-founder of VNYX.

From sustainability to industrial automation

VNYX is targeting a shift in how fashion companies manage unsold and returned inventory, particularly as regulatory pressure increases in Europe through extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules and bans on the destruction of unsold goods.

By automating resale processes, the company argues that circular fashion models can move from niche sustainability initiatives to scalable industrial operations.

“We have proven that fashion resale isn’t only the right thing to do for the planet, but it’s the right thing for your wallet too,” says Guus Balkema, CFO of VNYX.

“Our focus now shifts to scaling. We are curating a shortlist of strategic VCs and fashion brands for the deployment of our VNYX1000 technology to international fulfillment centers and global fashion brands.”

The company is now seeking additional investment and partnerships as it looks to deploy its systems in larger logistics environments and expand internationally.