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Former adidas YEEZY Innovation Lab head, Omar Bailey, is starting his very own sneaker production company dubbed FCTRY LAb. In partner with Abhishek Som, Bailey will be providing a new footwear prototyping lab and venture studio based in Los Angeles. FCTRY LAb aims to support both emerging and established designers by expediting the product development process from 8-12 months, down to 1-3 months.
Brands of all sizes will be able to take advantage of FCTRY LAb’s expedited product development process. FCTRY LAb is able to provide an accessible creation process by avoiding overseas supply chains and democratizing production through open-source innovation.
Omar Bailey is a design engineer and has 20 years of experience in global product development and manufacturing. FCTRY LAb’s co-founder Abhishek Som is a former Wall Street and private equity executive. He helped to secure $6 million in financing for FCTRY LAb from PayPal-backed Slauson & Co, as well as Relay Ventures, Elysian Park Ventures, Level One Fund, and Fog City Capital.
FCTRY LAb’s first round of collaborative projects caught the attention of investors, which allowed Bailey and Som to move forward with their space in Los Angeles. The sneaker production company offers the latest in 3D printing, pattern making, injection molding, and will be expanding into sales management and marketing next year. FCTRY LAb has their sights set on the beginning of January 2023 to be fully operational.
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