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Cassie Betts embarked on a career in fashion in 1998 – back then she was frustrated by the lack of software tailored towards the fashion industry. At that time, fashion designers had a difficult time connecting with suppliers and manufacturers.
Fast-forward to 2012, the software had barely changed and the garment industry still had virtually no online presence. Betts, a fashion industry veteran and CEO of District2.Co said that technologically, the industry was still in the 80s.
This meant it was a full-time job for a fashion designer to simply identify a local supplier, manufacturer or sewer. After consulting with coworkers, colleagues, and friends in the industry who all shared similar frustrations, Betts decided to run with an idea.
The idea evolved to what is now District2.Co, an online platform that facilitates interactions between fashion entrepreneurs and suppliers.
The fashion-tech company, whose name is pronounced "district2-point-co" and represents the 2.0 enhancements in the fashion space, has grown organically since its soft launch in December 2013.
The database was released free of charge to the fashion industry with the purpose of gaining feedback from local designers, suppliers, vendors, etc.
"It was something so necessary and needed,’’ Betts said. ‘’I feel that if you serve customers to the best of your ability, you will make mone, the money follows.’’
Since its initial launch, District2.Co receives about 1,000 visits per month. Around 350 to 400 manufacturers are listed on the platform at present.
District2.Co continues to grow its revenue by connecting brands and fashion designers to their manufacturers or suppliers, accountants or whoever they are looking for.
Betts and her co-founder/CTO Nikolay Maliarenko have since taken on a CFO and a Brand Development Officer, since founding the company in 2013. The four-person team was accepted into the Stubbs Alderton & Markiles "Preccelerator" after winning a business startup competition. The company is now guided by six advisors, who are involved in day-to-day operations and have been an integral part of the platform’s early success.
The next phase for District2.Co is to either to join a business accelerator or find funding.
Looking forward, the company aims to expand its reach to Africa, Korea and Latin America, which are home to many up-and-coming manufacturers and designers.
Betts and her team are passionate about changing the game within the garment industry – the company is looking to raise $1 million over the next six months and remains devoted to evolving a billion-dollar industry into the 21st century.
"It's about seeing the bigger picture and sacrificing until you make it happen," Betts said. "And it's about realizing that money is not as important as creating something useful that makes customers happy…and if it makes a dollar in the process, great.''
