Ministry of Supply develops tech-infused men’s apparel using materials and approaches inspired by NASA spacesuits to control perspiration, reduce odor, and minimize wrinkling. The company began with Kickstarter campaigns that proved demand for its products and has four main lines: Apollo dress shirts, performance boss pants, base layer shirts, and core performance t-shirts. It is expanding its product suite with an Atlas sock line featuring coffee-infused fabrics and robotically knit, pressure-mapped design. The team has a Boston showroom, runs East Coast pop-up shops, and is pursuing retail and eCommerce distribution partnerships such as an upcoming Birchbox placement. To scale the business and secure retail partnerships the eight-person team has been hiring eCommerce and UX talent, including Brian Kalma, an early Zappos employee and former UX director at Zappos, Gilt Groupe, and Gemvara. Financially, the company proved concept on Kickstarter before completing a new seed financing round to fund growth. Ministry of Supply designs premium, tech-enhanced dress shirts—branded Apollo—that use a proprietary knit of synthetic fibers and phase change materials adapted from NASA space-suit technology to regulate body temperature. The shirts wick moisture, use an antimicrobial coating to reduce odor, are engineered for motion and strain so they stay tucked and resist wrinkles, and are planned to retail for about $130. The company emphasizes U.S. manufacturing, handling everything from fabric to packaging domestically to keep jobs in the U.S. Founded by MIT graduates with team experience from IDEO, Apple, and Lululemon, the founders report dozens of product iterations and A/B testing during development. Financially, the startup ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund scaled production and proprietary raw-material costs and exceeded its initial $30,000 goal. Near-term plans include opening a Boston showroom, launching a dedicated eCommerce site, and then working with retailers to expand distribution.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Sep 2013