How a Viral AI Image Elevated a Mexican Startup to a Major Adidas Partnership
Antonio Nuño, Fatima Alvarez, and Enrique Rodriguez, friends since childhood, embarked on a journey of community service during their teenage years, helping indigenous communities in Mexico and beyond. It was during this time that they encountered numerous talented women artisans who created stunning, sustainable crafts.
Recognizing the potential of these artisans, the trio envisioned a business model that would connect their skills with global companies seeking sustainable product solutions. Thus, in 2016, Someone Somewhere was born. Based in Mexico City, this startup collaborates with hundreds of rural artisans across seven of Mexico’s most impoverished states, integrating traditional craftsmanship into modern apparel and accessories.
The company’s mission is to empower artisan groups by helping them form cooperatives or small businesses, access banking services, and manage communal savings. Artisans receive payments for each product they create, with Someone Somewhere supplying materials and paying 50% upfront and the remaining 50% upon completion.
A Viral Breakthrough
In its early years, Someone Somewhere secured contracts with notable companies such as Ben & Frank and Rappi. However, in 2023, the founders saw an opportunity to leverage AI, specifically Stable Diffusion’s text-to-image model, to scale their business further.
By feeding their data of artisan materials and techniques into Stable Diffusion, they generated AI-assisted design concepts of popular products. Their goal was to demonstrate how iconic items could be reimagined with artisan craftsmanship from various regions. They shared these AI-generated designs on LinkedIn and Instagram, tagging major brands like Red Bull and Trader Joe’s.
The game-changer came when they posted an AI concept of an adidas-branded Mexican National Team soccer jersey in March 2023. The post went viral, garnering over 1 million views and tagging adidas employees. Nuño highlighted that each shirt could “generate six months of fair work for over 3,000 artisans” and provide a means for over 15,000 people to escape poverty.
The post attracted adidas’s attention the following day, leading to a meeting and, eventually, a collaboration. By June 21, adidas and Someone Somewhere unveiled a new collection of Mexican National Team jerseys, featuring hand-embroidery by artisans from the Sierra Norte of Puebla. Each shirt represented over 11 hours of intricate embroidery, reflecting the 11 players of the Mexican national team.
AI and Growth
Nuño credits AI for accelerating Someone Somewhere’s growth. “AI helps us showcase potential designs to companies more effectively, facilitating partnerships,” he said. The company’s product output surged from 10 items a month to 5,000, demonstrating that AI can not only replace jobs but also create new ones when used innovatively. In the past year alone, they produced over 10 million items.
Revenue for Someone Somewhere has expanded 36-fold over the past three years. The startup’s team of 75 is now working with three times as many brands as the previous year, largely thanks to AI-driven co-creation. AI’s ability to quickly generate and refine product concepts has sped up the development process and helped secure deals with major brands, including Gator Cases, Google, Uber, Stripe, and Amazon.
Unexpected Opportunities
AI isn’t the sole factor in the company’s success. The use of QR codes on their products led to an unexpected partnership with Nimble, which produces sustainable electronic accessories. After discovering Someone Somewhere’s products in an amenity kit on a flight, Nimble’s CEO Ross Howe sought a collaboration. The result is a new line of PowerKnit Travel Kits sold exclusively through Apple stores in 30 countries.
Despite only raising $1.7 million in funding from investors like Dila Capital and GBM Ventures, Someone Somewhere has been profitable since 2022. They are currently preparing for a new funding round to capitalize on growing trends in nearshoring and sustainable procurement.
