Josephine Philips, founder of Sojo
The past few years have been exciting for women in tech, with female-founded businesses making waves. However, only 2% of venture capital funding goes to female entrepreneurs. One success story is Josephine Philips, founder of Sojo, a tech-driven sustainable fashion service. At just 23, she has raised $2.4 million and partnered with major brands like Ganni.
Sojo is an app that connects customers with local seamsters, offering a bicycle-powered delivery service for clothing alterations and repairs. Philips describes it as a “Deliveroo for clothes,” making tailoring services more accessible to a tech-savvy generation.
The idea for Sojo came from Philips’ personal frustration. After shifting to secondhand shopping for sustainability, she struggled with finding clothes in her size. Lacking sewing skills and access to seamsters, she envisioned a tech solution to bridge the gap.
During university, Philips gained valuable experience at Depop HQ, deepening her understanding of the sustainable fashion and tech startup space. The moment she finished her last exam, she dedicated herself full-time to Sojo.
To validate the idea, she launched a test run, manually cycling clothes across London to seamsters. The overwhelming demand confirmed the need for the service. Using her savings from selling clothes on Depop, she hired two graduate software engineers to build the app.
Philips believes consumer attitudes are shifting towards valuing clothing longevity. She sees Sojo as part of a broader movement to mainstream alterations and repairs, reducing unnecessary consumption in fashion.
Finding seamsters was a challenge, as many lacked an online presence. Philips sourced them through recommendations, Google searches, and direct visits. While initially hesitant, many now see Sojo as a way to expand their businesses and attract new customers.
The Sojo app is user-friendly: customers enter their postcode, choose from local seamsters, specify alterations, and schedule a pickup. Small tutorial videos guide users on taking measurements, making the process seamless.
As a solopreneur, Philips has learned every aspect of running a business, from team building and branding to investor relations. With Sojo’s success in London, expansion to other UK cities is next, followed by European and global growth.
For women looking to enter tech entrepreneurship, Philips emphasizes confidence through expertise. Understanding the market inside and out helped her prove herself. A career highlight was being featured in British Vogue—an affirmation of Sojo’s impact and her entrepreneurial journey.
