Srijan Mehrotra, a tinkerer with a deep love for both fashion and technology, launched Model Verse to solve a real problem: traditional fashion shoots are expensive, slow, and often out of reach for small and mid-sized brands. He envisioned a service that could use generative AI to produce lifelike catalog images without needing models, studios, or multiple photoshoot sessions. On Shark Tank India, Srijan confidently pitched his vision, asking for ₹25 lakh in exchange for 10 percent equity and showing off how Model Verse could generate fashion photographs on demand with virtual models of different poses, skin tones, hairstyles, and body types.
During his pitch he explained that Model Verse had already begun soft sales, and he quoted pricing that undercut conventional photoshoots by a significant margin. The heart of their offering is AI-generated models and virtual photoshoots, where garments are realistically mapped onto computer-generated figures. The start-up also offers a virtual catalog product that brands can customize by ethnicity, styling and pose, enabling them to present their clothing lines in a polished, inclusive way without the logistical cost and time of physical shoots. The technology behind it draws on modern generative AI methods — using GAN-style networks and custom transfer techniques to ensure that the clothing drapes naturally and looks authentic on the virtual models.
On air, the Sharks responded positively. According to media reports, Amit Jain, Anupam Mittal and Ritesh Agarwal offered to back Model Verse on the terms Srijan had proposed. That show-deal not only provided capital, but also offered him valuable validation and potential access to infrastructure and scaling support. The exposure from Shark Tank gave Model Verse a higher public profile, sparking conversation around the practical limits and possibilities of AI-driven imagery, and opened doors for technical partnerships, including access to GPU resources necessary for generative workloads.
One piece of public information remains unclear: despite mentions that sales began as early as March 2023, there is no independently verified record of the company’s official incorporation or its founding year in publicly available government filings. This means while the founder’s claims suggest Model Verse is young and fast-moving, its formal legal age is not clearly documented in press coverage or business databases.
However, Model Verse does appear to be operational today. Its website remains live and displays sample galleries, and its LinkedIn and social media profiles show activity consistent with ongoing product development. The team continues to showcase AI-generated catalog images and updates that suggest they are refining their models, improving workflows, and serving customer-facing operations. While it is not publicly confirmed whether the Shark Tank deal has fully closed in legal terms, the company’s visible presence and continued output point strongly toward an active business.
Srijan’s journey captures a classic founder story of modern entrepreneurship — part engineer, part visionary, deeply attuned to the needs of emerging fashion brands. He turned a technical experiment into a real business, one that stands at the crossroads of fashion and AI. By allowing brands to bypass traditional photoshoots and get high-quality visual content faster and cheaper, Model Verse demonstrates how generative technology can be shaped into pragmatic, commercially relevant tools. As they iterate further, the core question remains: will more brands embrace virtual models? With its current momentum, Model Verse seems poised to find out.
Written & Edited By:
Rajshree Upadhyaya
