Haute Hijab bags US$2.3 million funding

US-headquartered fashion and lifestyle startup targeting Muslim women, Haute Hijab, has raised US$2.3 million in seed funding. The investor group was led by Cue Ball and also includes Ludlow Ventures, Sinai Ventures, Maveron, Muse Capital, AngelList and The Helm. The funds will be used to help Haute Hijab accelerate growth and extend its reach worldwide.

“Cue Ball invests in category-defining and culturally-shaping ideas and Haute Hijab fits that description perfectly,” said Tony Tjan, managing partner of Cue Ball. “[Founders] Melanie and Ahmed are building a purposeful company that not only outfits but also supports and empowers Muslim women across all areas of their lives.”

Haute Hijab has recently introduced the Ultimate Underscarf (a garment worn under the hijab), which uses specially designed tech fabric engineered for breathability and with anti-bacterial properties.

“We are pleased to welcome a new group of investors as partners in our mission to empower Muslim women,” said co-founder and CEO Melanie Elturk. “Haute Hijab is entering an exciting phase of growth and innovation. We look forward to using this capital infusion to build the first digital-native Muslim cultural lifestyle brand across the globe.”

The brand had elevated the hijab category and creating an engaged online community of Muslim women, offering a variety of innovative and high-performance fabrics, styles, and designs ranging from every day to luxury via its online store.

According to The Guardian, the Muslim middle class is expected to triple to 900 million by 2030, with one-third of Muslims under the age of 15 and two-thirds under the age of 30. The average Muslim woman wears up to four hijabs per day and owns more than 100 hijabs.