Shopping for clothes online just got a futuristic upgrade as innovative startup Doji emerges with a groundbreaking approach to virtual shopping experiences. This New York-based company has quickly attracted both investors and fashion enthusiasts by introducing an AI-powered platform that creates personalized avatars for virtual try-on experiences, fundamentally changing how consumers interact with fashion online.
Bridging the Gap Between Digital and Physical Shopping
Doji addresses one of online shopping’s most persistent challenges: the inability to try on clothes before purchase. The platform uses advanced artificial intelligence to create hyper-realistic digital representations of users, allowing them to see how clothing will look and fit on their actual body shape and size. This innovative approach removes much of the uncertainty that typically comes with online fashion purchases, offering consumers a more confident and engaging shopping journey.
The core of Doji’s offering is the creation of AI-generated avatars that reflect users’ physical characteristics and style preferences. Users can upload selfies and full-body images to generate these digital twins, which then serve as the foundation for virtual try-on experiences. The technology uses proprietary diffusion models that interpret how different materials fold, stretch, and drape on various body types, resulting in realistic visualizations.
Significant Investment Shows Market Potential
The fashion-tech startup recently gained strong validation for its approach through a successful $14 million seed funding round led by Thrive Capital, with continued participation from Seven Seven Six Ventures. This major investment shows investor confidence in Doji’s potential to disrupt the traditional online shopping model and gain a meaningful share of the growing virtual try-on market.
The funding announcement came soon after the company’s public launch, which points to the strong market reception and investor enthusiasm for the platform’s capabilities. According to the company, these funds will be used to enhance Doji’s AI models, expand the team across AI research, engineering, marketing, and operations, and further develop the platform’s personalization features.
Visionary Leadership with Proven Track Record
Doji’s founding team brings together expertise from leading technology companies and AI research institutions. Co-founder and CEO Dorian Dargan previously contributed to projects at Apple, working on VisionOS, and at Meta, developing games and experiences for Oculus Quest. His co-founder, Jim Winkens, brings extensive AI research experience from his time at Google DeepMind and his work on generative AI-based consumer products at Google.
Dorian Dargan, Co-founder and CEO, said:
“Fashion is meant to be fun. But somewhere along the way, shopping for clothes online became overwhelming instead of exciting. We believe there’s a better way – one that celebrates creativity and self-expression.”
He also described the company’s mission.
Dorian Dargan, Co-founder and CEO, said:
“We’re building the most personal way to shop for fashion online. Create your photorealistic AI likeness and try on real clothes. Doji is designed to encourage play – helping you feel confident, explore new looks, and find pieces you’ll love.”
Advanced Technology Driving User Experience
The platform’s technology is built on sophisticated AI models that create accurate virtual representations of users. The system takes about 30 minutes to generate a personalized avatar from user-submitted photos, after which users can immediately begin experimenting with different fashion looks. The AI learns from user preferences, previous choices, and body measurements to provide increasingly personalized outfit suggestions that match individual style and fit requirements.
Beyond basic virtual try-on functionality, Doji incorporates social features that enhance the shopping experience. Users can share their AI-generated outfits with friends and family, get feedback, and discover new trends through community interactions. This social element transforms solitary online shopping into a collaborative and engaging activity, similar to traditional in-store experiences.
Market Impact and Future Outlook
Doji’s launch reflects broader industry trends toward personalization and immersive digital experiences in retail. The platform currently operates in invite-only mode but is already available in over 80 countries, showing significant global interest and scalability. Early beta users have responded enthusiastically, praising the realistic visualization of clothing fit and drape, the intuitive user experience, and the potential for enhanced personalization.
The company’s innovative approach places it at the forefront of a growing market segment where technology companies like Google are also investing heavily in AI-powered virtual try-on solutions. As consumer expectations continue to shift toward more personalized and interactive online experiences, Doji’s combination of advanced AI, social features, and user engagement positions the platform to capture significant market share in the rapidly expanding virtual fashion space.
