CreateMe's 95 Patents Land on the Untuckit T-Shirt

CreateMe Technologies has spent six years and 95 patents trying to replace the sewing needle with a robot and a drop of glue. The first commercially available product from that effort is now a men's t-shirt.

The Newark-based company's debut partnership with UNTUCKit, announced in February 2026, marks the retail launch of its Mechanical Robotic Apparel (MeRA) platform [Textile World, Feb 2026]. The system uses computer vision, robotics, and proprietary digital adhesives to assemble garments without a single stitch. For an industry built on thread and cheap overseas labor, it is a direct challenge to the economics of the global supply chain. The company claims its process already operates at cost parity with manual manufacturing abroad [Textile World, Dec 2025].

The Adhesive Wedge

CreateMe's bet is not merely on automation, but on a specific material science wedge: digital adhesives. The company's Pixel microadhesive and Thermo(re)set thermoreversible adhesive are designed to outperform traditional sewing thread and bonded tape [CreateMe, retrieved 2026]. The MeRA platform dispenses these adhesives at high velocity, bonding fabric layers with precision that, the company argues, yields a garment superior to sewn versions in fit, comfort, and durability.

This focus on intellectual property is central to the pitch. With over 95 patents filed in apparel automation and digitally applied adhesives, CreateMe is building a technical moat around a process, not just a machine [PR Newswire, Feb 2025]. The goal is to enable on-demand, onshore production for brands, cutting the waste and six-month lead times inherent in traditional cut-and-sew supply chains.

A Self-Funded Path to Market

What stands out in the company's profile is the absence of venture capital. CreateMe lists itself as self-funded, having launched in 2019 and grown to an estimated 50 employees without a formal seed round [ZoomInfo]. Directory services estimate its revenue at $12.2 million [ZoomInfo]. This suggests a bootstrap-and-partner approach, using early commercial deals to fund operations rather than investor capital.

The leadership team reflects a blend of technical and corporate expertise. Co-CEOs Campbell Myers and Vibhav Prasad are joined by co-founder Joy Wheeler, whose background includes an interim CEO role at healthcare provider Marillac [Bloomberg Markets, retrieved 2026]. Nick Chope serves as VP of Automation Engineering, bringing hardware execution to the forefront [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026].

The Commercial Roadmap

The UNTUCKit partnership is a critical proof point, but it is framed as just the beginning. CreateMe's stated first commercial-grade product is in women's intimates, described as the industry's first fully autonomous bonded intimates line [PR Newswire, Feb 2025]. The company is targeting a B2B model, licensing its MeRA platform to brands and manufacturers seeking sustainable, responsive production.

Key to the economics is the claim of cost parity. If the MeRA system can truly match the unit cost of offshore manual sewing while offering speed and customization, it changes the calculus for reshoring. The initial focus on categories like t-shirts and intimates,high-volume, relatively simple constructions,provides a logical beachhead.

The Skeptic's Checklist

For all its patented ambition, CreateMe faces a market conditioned by decades of failed apparel automation promises. The risks are tangible, and the company's next moves will need to address them directly.

• Scale and speed. The partnership with UNTUCKit demonstrates commercial viability, but the true test is volume. Can the MeRA lines produce at the scale required by a major brand's full seasonal collection, not just a pilot line?
• Material limitations. The technology must prove compatible with the vast array of fabrics, weaves, and finishes used in modern apparel, not just the Supima cotton used in the initial launch [Textile World, Feb 2026].
• Competitive response. Established players like SoftWear Automation and Sewbo have also pursued automated sewing, creating a race for both technical superiority and customer adoption. CreateMe's adhesive-based approach is a differentiation, but not an uncontested field.
• Capital intensity. Remaining self-funded while scaling hardware and robotics is a formidable challenge. The company has acknowledged early-stage fundraising discussions [Axios, Aug 2022], and a future institutional round seems a likely prerequisite for significant manufacturing capacity expansion.

The company's answer, for now, is to point to the partnership and the patents. The UNTUCKit deal is a tangible signal that at least one brand is willing to bet on bonded construction. The 95+ patents are a defensive claim on the process. The next twelve months will be about translating that single partnership into a repeatable sales motion with other brands.

The Next Stitch

CreateMe's journey from a 2019 founding to a 2026 retail launch, funded internally, is an unusual trajectory in deep tech. The lack of named investors means its valuation is a private matter, but its estimated 50-person team and eight-figure revenue suggest it has navigated the early valley of death that claims many hardware startups.

The forward question is not about the technology's existence, but its economic scaling. Can CreateMe convert its patented adhesive assembly into a platform that multiple brands adopt, and can it do so before the capital required to build that capacity becomes a constraint? The UNTUCKit t-shirt is the first answer. The next one will likely require a seed round to be written, with a valuation anchored by that first commercial line and the 95 patents behind it.

Sources

1. [Axios, Aug 2022] CreateMe begins fundraising conversations | https://www.axios.com/pro/retail-deals/2022/08/11/createme-begins-fundraising-conversations
2. [Bloomberg Markets, retrieved 2026] Joy Wheeler, Marillac: Profile and Biography | https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/17650881
3. [CreateMe, retrieved 2026] CreateMe | The Future of Fashion is Bonded™ | https://www.createme.com/
4. [FashionUnited, Feb 2026] Untuckit partners with CreateMe to develop first commercially available digitally-bonded T-shirts | https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/untuckit-partners-with-createme-to-develop-first-commercially-available-digitally-bonded-t-shirts/2026022070707
5. [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Nick Chope - VP of Automation Engineering at CreateMe | https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaston-macmillan-a33ab03/
6. [PR Newswire, Feb 2025] CreateMe Launches Robotic Apparel Manufacturing Platform and First Commercial-Grade Garments | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/createme-launches-robotic-apparel-manufacturing-platform-and-first-commercial-grade-garments-302553309.html
7. [Textile World, Dec 2025] Redefining How Clothes Are Made: CreateMe Unveils Technology Platform | https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/knitting-apparel/2025/12/redefining-how-clothes-are-made-createme-unveils-technology-platform/
8. [Textile World, Feb 2026] CreateMe, UNTUCKit & Supima® Unite To Launch First Digitally Bonded Garments | https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/knitting-apparel/2026/02/createme-untuckit-supima-unite-to-launch-first-digitally-bonded-garments/
9. [ZoomInfo] CreateMe Technologies - Overview | https://www.zoominfo.com/c/createme-technologies-llc/477955885