Smartex leverages innovative AI solutions to streamline textile inspections and address waste in supply chains, backed by Amazon and H&M
Gilberto Loureiro’s teenage work inspecting fabric in a Portuguese textile factory was the foundation for a startup tackling waste and supply chain sustainability in fashion manufacturing.
That early experience – defined by Gilberto as a “hate and love” relationship with the process – shaped his vision for Smartex, the company he co-founded after earning a physics master’s degree.
Today, Smartex uses AI, vision software and high-spec cameras to detect textile defects automatically.
This reduces the volume of wasted material flowing through fashion supply chains, while also aiming to eliminate the physical toll and inefficiencies of manual inspection.
Gilberto explains: "I really love the textile industry and problem solving, but I hate this … inspection working and inefficiencies and the waste. It's really one of the most difficult jobs in the world."
