Aesty
Aesty is an iOS app that lets users photograph or screenshot outfits from social media and virtually try them on a personalized avatar built from their body shape, face shape, and color palette.1 The company, Aesty Labs Pte. Ltd., was incorporated in Singapore in December 2024 and is operated from Dubai; it received $1.18 million in pre-seed funding from Antler, closed June 20, 2025.12 By March 2026, the app had reached $100,000 in annual recurring revenue growing approximately 2x month-over-month.7
Founding
Nadia Zueva, CEO and co-founder, spent approximately a decade as a deep learning engineer before starting Aesty. Her prior engineering work included AI systems for scooter drive safety in Los Angeles and real-time accent enhancement software for offshore call centers in India.9 She traces the origin of the app's concept to a childhood memory: her family could not afford a school uniform that fit properly, so she remade one with her grandmother on a 1913 Singer sewing machine and wore it for five years.9
Andrei Rychkov, CTO and co-founder, has a background in AI and mobile development. Together, Zueva and Rychkov bring over a decade of combined experience in AI and mobile work.8 They met during COVID lockdowns when a mutual friend introduced them because Rychkov had a car and Zueva wanted to drive to see the northern lights.7 In October 2024, both joined the Antler MENAP RYD2 cohort, a founder residency program in Riyadh.11 Following the Antler investment, the founders registered Aesty Labs Pte. Ltd. in Singapore in December 2024, using Osome's incorporation service.8
Product
A user takes a screenshot from Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest; Aesty identifies every item in the outfit and finds shoppable product matches; the user tries the look on a personalized avatar; and the app suggests only the missing pieces from their existing wardrobe, with direct shopping links.1 Rychkov described the virtual try-on as feeling "like a scene out of Clueless, but real."8
Five of the app's seven AI models run on-device, processing style data locally on the phone rather than sending it to a server.7 The digital closet is built by photographing or uploading existing wardrobe items; the app auto-categorizes by type and detects color. Outfit generation is occasion-based — date night, work, casual, travel — and each suggestion is scored for color fit, style match, and wardrobe compatibility.5
The app requires iOS 18 or later and also runs on macOS 15+ with Apple M1+ and visionOS 2.0+. It is 79.5 MB and available in English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.2
Key features added across 2025 and early 2026 include an outfit editing mode and referral program where both parties receive a free try-on (version 2.1, June 2025), a discover screen with an infinite feed of outfits (version 2.3, September 2025), a "find clothes from any photo" function (version 2.7, January 2026), and an outfit trends feed (version 2.12, April 2026).2 Subscription tiers as of April 2026 are Pro Weekly (€5.99–€6.99), Pro Monthly (€14.99), Pro Annual (€69.99), Max Monthly (€34.99), and Max Annual (€299.99).2
Growth and distribution
Zueva and Rychkov built early traction entirely through organic social content, posting short videos on TikTok and Instagram daily for roughly six months without paid advertising.10 The referral channel converts at 2.5 times the rate of Instagram traffic.7 By March 2026, the app had reached $100,000 in annual recurring revenue growing approximately 2x month-over-month, with referrals accounting for a disproportionate share of new subscribers.7
On March 10, 2026, Zueva posted on X: "Personal stylists charge $200/hr. Built one that lives in your phone for $15/month and knows every piece you own." The post received 250,000 impressions and generated over 40 paying subscribers overnight.6 An earlier X post had produced 50 overnight subscribers before the larger viral moment.7
Aesty removed its free trial after observing that a portion of trial users were being accidentally charged, generating 1-star reviews and distorting retention analytics. After removing the trial, retention improved and refund requests disappeared.7
In Zueva's words: "It's not about buying more clothes or chasing trends — it's about finally using what you have."7 Aesty also has a B2B component: brands can integrate with the app for product discovery via a 15% affiliate commission model.9