From Delhi to Digital Fashion: Samarth Bhalla on Startups, Impact VC, and Building with AI
In this episode of The Stash Cast, I sit down with Samarth Bhalla, operator-turned-investor and founder of Trevi, a fashion-tech AI startup that’s reimagining how we shop, dress, and engage with brands.
Samarth shares his journey from consulting for Fortune 500 companies to building breakout Indian startups (including one now heading for IPO), and launching a virtual stylist powered by generative AI. Now an MBA at UCLA Anderson and a Portfolio Manager for its impact venture fund, he offers a unique dual lens as both founder and investor.
We explore:
* The problem Trevi is solving — and why fashion needs a digital memory
* What a real moat looks like in the age of ChatGPT
* A crash course in impact venture capital and catalytic investing
* How cocoa supply chains, cow-trading apps, and influencer UX connect
* Turning data, not products, into defensible SaaS businesses
A wide-ranging conversation filled with actionable insight for VCs, founders, and builders operating at the intersection of AI, commerce, and impact.
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