Markmi , the fast-growing Ghent -based startup, clinched €1.1 million in seed funding in November 2025 , aiming to revolutionize markdown management and pricing strategy in the retail sector.
The round, supported by celebrated Belgian fashion investors Wolf (Luc Van Mol, ex-ZEB) , the Torfs family , and technology leaders Lorenz Bogaert, Matthias Geeroms, Jan Teerlinck, Roeland Delrue, Jonas Deprez , and PMV , aims to accelerate Markmi’s rollout across Belgium , the Netherlands , the Nordics , and soon, the U.S.
Why Markdown Still Matters—And Why AI is the Answer As fashion retailers strive to maintain margins in an era of rising costs and fickle customer behavior, markdowns have become one of the largest cost lines on any retailer’s profit and loss statement.
“ Markdowns are one of the biggest cost lines in a fashion retailer's P&L, ” said Markus Krenn , VP & Head of Commercial Planning Europe at C&A . " Markmi has significantly reduced this cost for us.
” Markdown missteps quickly lead to margin erosion or excess inventory—often managed in spreadsheets and through instinct, at the cost of strategy and scale. Markmi replaces these outdated methods with an AI-powered assistant , offering scenario analysis and clear pricing recommendations based on real data.
A Platform Built by Retailers, For Retailers Founded by Laurent Mainil , whose family legacy in Belgian fashion runs deep, Markmi emerged out of the challenges retailers faced during the COVID pandemic, when unsold inventory and revised revenue targets became existential challenges for brands…
