As the founder of Metail, a pioneering apparel technology scale-up which sought to transform the way shoppers interact with online fashion, enabling virtual fitting rooms and personalised sizing tools, Tom Adeyoola is no stranger to turning big ideas into reality. But his story isn’t just one of innovation – it’s also one of reflection, reinvention and a commitment to creating products of value.
Now a mentor, investor and advocate for diversity in tech, Tom shared insights from his career with unLTD, including his journey building and exiting from Metail and advice for entrepreneurs who are ready to take the leap themselves.
The lightbulb moment for Metail came after a series of personal observations and experiences. “It came about through a combination of three things,” Adeyoola recalls. One was his wife’s frustration with shopping – both in-store and online. “Online still hadn’t solved the problem of ‘Is this going to suit and fit me right?’” he notes.
Another spark came during a holiday in Vietnam, where his wife had clothes tailored in Hoi An. “I remember thinking, why can’t the internet do this?”
The final piece of the puzzle came from an unexpected place – his work on a project involving computer vision for live blackjack. During his research, he encountered a Cambridge professor who had developed technology that could generate realistic representations of human figures. “That stuck in my mind, and I thought, maybe computer vision is the way to solve the online clothing fit problem.”
Employing that combination of personal experience, professional insight and cutting-edge technology, Metail was born in 2008.
Launching the company came with its challenges. Adeyoola speaks about the early days with candid humility. “It took a year to come up with that lightbulb moment,” he admits. After quitting his job, he funded the business through what he calls “friends, family and fools’” money.
Early on, the goal was clear: to prove the technology’s viability. “We needed to answer three basic questions: Can we generate realistic versions of people from basic images? Can we model clothing? And can we put the two together in a way that doesn’t look rubbish?”
Despite plenty of early hurdles, Adeyoola’s determination kept him moving forward. “Building a business is sometimes about putting yourself in positions for lucky things to happen to you. It’s like the quote apocryphally attributed to Gary Player: The more you practice, the luckier you get,” he says.
Throughout Metail’s journey, there were moments that tested Adeyoola’s resolve. One pivotal event came during a crucial meeting with ASOS. “We had an 8am demo, and nothing was working. As we were on the train, my CTO called to say, ‘We’ve got it working.’ It was rough around the edges, but it worked. That was a sliding doors moment between success and failure.”
But not all stories ended in triumph. The potential deal with ASOS fell apart when a key stakeholder left the business, forcing Metail to pivot. Adeyoola describes these moments as lessons in adaptability. “You have to be resilient and willing to pivot when circumstances change,” he reflects.
“Building a business is about putting yourself in positions for lucky things to happen to you. It’s like the quote apocryphally attributed to Gary Player: The more you practice, the luckier you get…”
By 2018, it became clear that Metail’s commercial traction wasn’t keeping pace with its innovative potential. Adeyoola made the difficult decision to sell the company. “It was about recognising that market forces were outside my control,” he explains.
The process of exiting was bittersweet. While Metail’s technology was ahead of its time, timing proved critical. “We were bought in 2019, but if we’d stayed alive into the pandemic, we could’ve gone for 20 times more,” he reflects. Despite this, Adeyoola emphasises the importance of timing and family. “Being able to step back and repay my family for 11 years of sacrifice was priceless.”
Since leaving Metail, Adeyoola has focused on projects that blend technology, society and climate impact. He is deeply engaged in diversity initiatives, having co-founded two nonprofits aimed at supporting underrepresented founders and expanding angel investment networks.
Reflecting on the future of work, Adeyoola recalls a question posed to him five years ago. “Yvette Cooper asked me, ‘What would you say to a 30-year-old woman in Doncaster, educated to GCSE level, with two kids who currently works at Next? What’s her future?’ I didn’t have an answer then, but it’s a question that sticks with me.”
Now, his focus is on tackling big challenges, from climate change to creating equitable opportunities in tech. “Technology should be a force for good,” he says. “It’s not just about what we can build but about the impact it will have on people and the planet.”
“For me, it’s not just about building a business – it’s about creating value and leaving the world better than you found it.”
Tom will be the keynote speaker at the South Yorkshire Tech Summit 2025, taking place on Monday 10th March at Cast Theatre in Doncaster. To learn more or register, visit www.techsy.co.uk/tech-summit.
