A ‘turning point’ at Expand North Star

One event driving market entry, investment and revenue

Save Your Wardrobe was nurturing connections with retail industry leaders and investors in the GCC. But it was exhibiting at Expand North Star that proved decisive. At the event they secured a round of investment and a contract with a luxury retail group.

“Expand North Star was a catalyst for our expansion into the UAE”, says Mehdi Doghri, Co-Founder & CEO of Save Your Wardrobe.

The UK-based retail and fashion tech startup had long identified GCC as a key market. Exhibiting at Expand North Star unlocked significant opportunities and led to major deals in the region.

During the event the company successfully closed an investment round. The investor - who joined through ENS Investor Programme - was already part of the startup’s network, but meeting face-to-face created the right conditions to finalise the deal.

MARKET ENTRY TURNING POINT

The startup participation also played a pivotal role in accelerating its entry into the Middle East. Ongoing discussions with Chalhoub Group - the GCC giant luxury retail company - reached a turning point during the event. “We've secured our first client in the region following ENS, along with our first local partner and first revenues in the region”, confirms Mehdi.

Save Your Wardrobe’s presence on the show floor demonstrated strong commitment to the region, ultimately helping close the commercial agreement.

This milestone became the foundation for their expansion into the UAE. “That deal became the trigger for our broader expansion into the UAE, including establishing partnerships with local service partners to support operations. We also used side meetings and networking at the event to build additional relationships that have since been formalized”, he adds.

The startup is now planning the launch of full operations and exploring opening a local entity in the UAE to support their growth ambitions.

A Deal Maker Event

The international diversity and quality of exhibitors, investors, speakers and visitors stood out for Save Your Wardrobe’s CEO.

“What impressed us most was the calibre of international partners and regional decision makers we were able to meet, both during the official programme and in side events, as well as the strong follow up culture. It felt like an event designed for doing business, not just attending panels.

For Save Your Wardrobe, Expand North Star was not just about visibility, it was a catalyst for real business outcomes across investment, partnerships and regional expansion.

Looking ahead, with North Star hosted alongside GITEX GLOBAL, Save Your Wardrobe sees even greater opportunity, from strengthening investor relationships for future fundraising to building connections with government entities that can accelerate deployment across the UAE and wider GCC.

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FACT CHECK

Save Your Wardrobe is a Fashion & Retail Tech startup with a circular digital platform tailored for fashion brands and retailers to streamline the post purchase experience through digital wardrobes, wallets and end to end care and repair services.

Built as a white-label solution, the SaaS platform helps brands unlock new revenue streams, improve customer retention and support their sustainability goals across fashion and wider retail sectors.