The number of start-ups in retail technology is growing and Retail Week is highlighting some of the best. This week we look at Snap Fashion.

Snap Fashion is a visual search engine that allows shoppers to take and upload photos of outfits they like and find similar products across a variety of fashion retailers.

Key facts

Founded: 2011

Investment: Funding from capital venture funds including Venrex Investment Management and Time Inc.

Retail partners: Forever 21, John Lewis, Ted Baker and New Look

Founder: Jenny Griffiths

What it does

Snap Fashion is a London-based retail technology app that allows its users to take photos of outfits and items of clothing they like and search for similar items across the collections of the start-up’s 250 retail partners.

The start-up spans men and womenswear collections and covers a variety of price ranges with the aim of enabling users to find items they like in the world around them at prices they can afford.

When a user finds an item they like through the start-up’s visual search, they are linked directly to the retailer’s website to make a purchase.

What problem it solves

For fashion retailers, Snap Fashion acts as a middleman between social media and online purchases. By allowing users to link items they see online or on the street with fashion items online, the start-up gives retailers access to potential new customers.

Users can also share items they like via Facebook, increasing the social reach of the start-up.

Chief executive and founder Jenny Griffiths says: “Snap Fashion takes the concept of style sharing on blogging sites a step further by putting its cutting-edge search technology in the hands of fashion fans so they can buy the clothes they see in personal photos, on favourite websites and in magazine images.

“It makes shopping for clothing faster by using images instead of words.”

More information: snapfashion.co.uk