In this week’s episode, I spoke with Christina Hadinoto, founder of Contour Lab, a fashion tech startup based in Antwerp. Their product is a digital shopping assistant that uses AI to help you find clothes that match your body type and preferences, just like a human shopping assistant would do in a real store.
I first met Christina when we both participated in an incubator organised by Impact Shakers in collaboration with BeCentral, Elle Magazine, and Google. This was in January 2023; she was just at the beginning of her journey and was still working on closing her first paid customer.
Then I saw her pitch at SuperNova in March 2025, and I was amazed by the results she had achieved since I’d last seen her. Some major names appeared on the customer slide, she had strong data about the impact of her product, and she’d just closed a funding round. They’re now a team of five. When I saw that, I knew I had to get her on the show to share the story of how she got to where she is now.
Keep listening to find out how she found a technical cofounder despite not having a network to draw from, how she managed the shift from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, what it was like to enter a market as an early visionary before the world was ready for her solution, the impact she aims to have within the fashion industry globally, and her passionate call for more female entrepreneurs and investors.
00:00 Introduction to Christina and Contour Lab
06:25 The Impact of Contour Lab on Fashion and Mental Health
12:54 Finding Co-Founders and Building the Team
19:33 Overcoming Fundraising Challenges
24:57 Scaling and Market Opportunities
29:38 The Role of Support Programs in Entrepreneurship
32:45 Lessons Learned and Mindset Shifts
36:29 Future Ambitions and Advice for Founders
What is Allez Startups?
Behind-the-scenes interviews with Belgium’s startup founders, investors and local experts.
I’m Claudia, a Talent and People advisor for startups and a former founder. When I moved to Belgium in 2022, I explored the local startup scene. It seemed small, fragmented, full of complexities and hurdles.
Digging deeper, I realised Belgium is full of bold founders, scaling startups and an ecosystem that’s on the rise.
But most of its stories remain untold, or only shared in local networks.
This podcast aims to change that.
I’m pulling back the curtain to spotlight Belgium’s startup founders, investors and local experts. They’ll share real, personal stories about what happens behind-the-scenes, the knowledge they built and lessons learnt along the way.
Expect local inspiration and hands-on knowledge, in English, across regional barriers — so we can all learn from others' journeys.