Smartex is dedicated to digitising the textile industry
Smartex is a leading and award-winning hardware-based software company dedicated to developing advanced solutions and building essential tools for the modern textile factory. With a focus on AI-driven technology, Smartex empowers textile manufacturers to optimise operations, enhance quality control, boost sustainability, and streamline supply chain processes. The company is revolutionising the textile industry with its comprehensive suite of tools, including Smartex CORE and Smartex LOOP. These tools enable manufacturers to unlock their full potential and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, Smartex’s Head of Marketing Operations Camila Luz discusses the impact of AI and ML on textile industry, the role of data-driven marketing in decision-making, future marketing trends and technologies, and much more.
How has the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies impacted the marketing strategies and practices of the textile industry?
AI and ML have had a significant impact on the marketing strategies and practices of the textile industry:
• With AI, the industry is able to become more efficient and cost-effective in its operations. AI can help automate the production process, reduce labour costs, increase accuracy, and create more innovative fabrics and patterns.
• AI and ML can analyse customer data to create personalised marketing campaigns that increase engagement and conversion rates.
• AI categorises images, patterns, and designs, automating tasks, and enabling targeted marketing campaigns based on visual preferences and trends.
• AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants offer real-time assistance, saving time and resources for textile companies.
• AI and ML analyse social media platforms to gain insights into customer sentiment, brand perception, and emerging trends, refining messaging and targeting customers more effectively.
These technologies have revolutionised marketing strategies in the textile industry, enhancing customer experiences, improving operational efficiency, and gaining a competitive edge in the market.
With the rise of social media and influencer marketing, what role do you see these platforms playing in the future of marketing?
Social media and influencer marketing will continue to play a significant role in the textile industry. These platforms provide global reach, brand visibility, and direct interaction with customers. Even though this is not the case of Smartex, since we are a B2B company, collaborating with influencers allows brands to tap into their established follower base, while User-Generated Content can amplify their brand presence and build a community of engaged customers. Textile companies can use social media to define specific demographics and interests, and benefit from analytics tools that offer valuable insights. To succeed, textile companies need to stay up-to-date with emerging platforms, trends, and consumer behaviours.
How has the increasing emphasis on personalisation and customer experience influenced marketing strategies and customer engagement?
The textile industry has been significantly impacted by the growing emphasis on personalisation and customer experience in marketing strategies. At Smartex, for example, we focus on delivering personalised marketing messages to customers. Since defects are subjective, our customers can set their own defect thresholds on our system. We also prioritise providing a positive experience at every touchpoint, including both our customer journey and our distributor/partner journeys, from initial awareness to post-purchase responsive customer support. We actively seek customer feedback and engage with our audience through reviews, surveys, and social media. Additionally, our data team collects data-driven insights from our platform to better understand customer preferences, behaviours, and patterns, allowing us to tailor and optimise our product offerings. In summary, personalisation and customer experience have transformed marketing strategies and customer engagement in the textile industry. By delivering tailored messages, customised products, and prioritising the customer journey, textile companies can build stronger connections with customers, increase loyalty, and drive business growth.
In what ways is data-driven marketing shaping decision-making processes and campaign optimisation?
As explained above, we take our data seriously at Smartex. Data-driven marketing is shaping decision-making and campaign optimisation in the textile industry. It enables targeted audience segmentation, personalised messaging, and optimised offers based on customer data. Customer journey mapping and CLV analysis help enhance the customer experience and maximise value. Continuous optimisation and data-driven adjustments ensure marketing efforts deliver better results and ROI. Overall, data-driven marketing empowers textile companies to make informed decisions, personalise campaigns, and achieve better outcomes.
What emerging marketing trends or technologies do you believe will have the greatest impact on the textile industry in the next few years, and how is your organisation preparing to leverage them?
The emerging marketing trends and technologies expected to have a significant impact on the textile industry in the next few years include the expansion and continued influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for enhanced customer experiences, a focus on sustainability and ethical practices, voice search and smart assistants, evolving influencer marketing strategies, the balance between data privacy and personalisation, 3D printing and customisation, social commerce and shoppable content. Adapting to these trends will help textile companies stay competitive and meet evolving customer expectations. Smartex already leverages AI and ML, along with a huge focus on sustainability. This is our mission, and we will continue to prioritise it. In the future we hope to expand to other industries too.
How does Smartex’s technology work?
Smartex CORE, the foundation of the Smartex System, detects all relevant types of defects produced by Circular Knitting Machines (open-width and tubular) using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. Smartex CORE system integrates into existing textile machinery with a seamless set of cameras and sensors. The system pairs with a comprehensive software platform for factory management, article management, digital twins of textile rolls produced, and more. Smartex is dedicated to digitising the textile industry by providing technical tools which will allow it to become more efficient, productive, and sustainable. Building upon the success of Smartex CORE, our AI-enabled automated quality control product, Smartex LOOP enables suppliers to take advantage of fabric-roll level data collection and revolutionise supply chain communication, as well as directly address the call from fashion brands for better supply chain data, marking a new era of transparency and collaboration.
What are some of the benefits of using Smartex’s technology?
The textile industry operates on thin margins and has a high defect rate and low supply chain visibility. Currently, human vision and manual inspection are used to detect textile defects. Smartex enables textile manufacturers to take control of their production line through real-time defect detection, data-driven analysis, and alerts. With Smartex CORE, factory owners are able to increase their production without compromising on quality and become more sustainable by reducing waste. Factory workers are able to increase their workplace safety by operating with the machine doors safely closed and also optimise their workflow. One of the most straining activities in the textile factory is the visual inspection of defects, which will be complemented by Smartex CORE, releasing the workers for more added value activities. The benefits of Smartex LOOP extend beyond quality control. It offers vital evidence for verified wastage reduction, inventory tracking, and tier 2 production locations, enabling fashion brands to meet the mounting demands of legislation, investors, and consumers for improved supply chain data.
What are some of the challenges and opportunities that you see for Smartex in the future?
Smartex is in a growth phase as we scale our product, so our teams are growing across all of our departments. However, we must highlight the roles of our service technicians and field engineers who are responsible to design and install our product in the premises of new clients around the world. We are opening in new markets and closing deals fast, so this team is planned to grow accordingly. Besides that, we are looking for several roles in our software teams, from senior developers to QA engineers who can guarantee the maintenance and improvement of our product. To keep scaling we also rely on our distributors and making sure they are trained accordingly. We see Smartex LOOP as a huge opportunity to even expand to consumers in the future so that they can see where the products they are buying came from and how they were produced, how much waste they saved, etc.
How do you plan to scale your business?
Through the help of our local distributors and partners and by expanding into new markets.
Can you provide an overview of Smartex’s marketing strategy and how it aligns with the company’s overall goals and objectives?
Our marketing strategy is broken out into five pillars: corporate marketing, event marketing, product marketing, public relations and social media marketing. The mission of the marketing team is to help Smartex achieve sustainable business growth through market intelligence, brand awareness, creativity, and strategic vision. Our objective is to create a brand that attracts and develops talent while building demand within prospects aligned to the overall company mission of eliminating waste across the global textile industry and helping factories to digitise themselves.
What role does digital marketing play in your overall marketing efforts, and what specific digital marketing tactics have been successful for the company?
Digital marketing plays a crucial role in our overall marketing efforts. Specific digital marketing tactics that have been successful at Smartex include: SEO by optimising our website content to improve organic search engine rankings and visibility, driving more targeted traffic to the website; content marketing by creating and sharing valuable and relevant content (such as blog posts, articles, videos) to attract and engage not only our target audience but also talent; social media marketing by leveraging social media platforms to build our brand presence, engage with our audiences, and share content to reach specific demographics; email and WhatsApp marketing by sending targeted emails to nurture leads, build customer relationships, and promote products or services; and analytics and data-driven insights by utilising analytics tools to track and measure the performance of our digital marketing efforts and gathering data on user behaviour, engagement, and conversions.
In terms of customer acquisition and retention, what strategies do you employ to attract new customers and keep existing ones engaged and satisfied?
We participate in industry trade shows, keep close relationships with industry related press, do road shows in textile related markets and work hard with our distributors to nurture these relationships. We have 24/7 technical support as well as a dedicated customer support team that helps our customers to make the most out of using our platform, along with receiving regular executive and waste saving reports.
Are there any particular challenges or opportunities you foresee in the marketing landscape for Smartex in the near future, and how do you plan to address them?
In the near future, more factory owners around the world will have fully digitised, accessible production with insurable quality control. As fabrics travel down the supply chain, there will be greater visibility and traceability relating to the sources and contents of each textile. The daily life of factory operators will be strengthened and smoothened through convenient, useful technologies while their workspaces are kept digitised and safe. The industry as a whole will move towards preserving valuable resources, producing without waste, ensuring workers’ rights and safety, and guaranteeing more transparent supply chain journeys. We plan to address this by continuing to build great products that not only benefit the profits of these factories but also the environment.
Can you highlight any collaborations or partnerships that Smartex has established with other organisations to enhance its marketing efforts or reach new audiences?
One of the key aspects that led to Smartex’s success is the partnerships established since the company was established. The first partnerships were made with textile companies that collaborated with the development of the technology, facilitating access to their factories and providing valuable insight into the fabric qualities. Once the minimal viable product was achieved, Smartex established solid relations with investors, fashion brands, suppliers, EU funding agencies, clients and distributors supporting technology development and commercialisation. Some key dates and accomplishments are:
2018 – Accepted in HAX programme in China/US for Hard Tech startups with the support of SOSV
2019 – Letter of interest of major fashion brands and factories and first paid pilots; Seed round
2020 – Horizon European grant awarded (Industrial Leadership)
2020/2021 – Go Global Award, BfK Award
2021 – Web Summit 2021: Winner of the 2021 PITCH startup competition
2022 – Series A fundraising supported by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Tony Fadell’s Build Collective; Entry in new markets such as Uzbekistan, Egypt, Bangladesh and establishment of local distributors. Won LinkedIn’s Top Startups in Portugal, ITMF International Cooperation Award with Ekoten, and the IOT Innovation World Cup.
2023 – IRCAI Award in partnership with UNESCO for the Global Top 100 Excellent Projects for AI Solutions for Sustainable Development
In addition, we have written multiple articles, including customer-featured case studies. Moreover, our three founders are also a part of the Forbes 30 under 30 - European list for Social Entrepreneurs.
What are some of the company’s goals for the future?
Our mission is to create the ‘Modern Textile Factory’ that is fully automated, efficient, traceable, and waste-free. In the future, consumers will be able to see where their clothes come from, and the environmental impact of their products and factories will be both super-efficient and clean. Technology will serve humanity at all levels, and manufacturing will not be an exception. We are working to be a fundamental part of that future.
