The Essential
YC W17San Francisco, US · Founded 2018 · 11 employees · 2 known investors
Find your way into The Essential
63 people in our graph share verified history with the The Essential team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Melis Ataunlockedknows Chai Mishra · together at UNICEF (overlapped)
×9knows the team · via UNICEF
×2knows the team · via City of Berkeley
The Essential connects consumers directly to home goods manufacturers, eliminating retail intermediaries and markups while maintaining product quality. The company sells luxury home furnishings at reduced prices by sourcing directly from factories.
Also known as Move · Movebutter
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesManufacturingSupply ChainUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaPartly Remote
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W17)
The Essential was founded in 2018 by Chai Mishra.
CM
Chai MishrainFounder/CEOChai Mishra is founder and CEO of The Essential, a home goods marketplace that connects consumers directly to manufacturers. She previously founded another Y Combinator-backed company and studied at UC Berkeley.
Investors · 2
Competitors · 5
by search overlap
Wayfair1200 shared keywordsWayfair offers a product specialist service where technical experts provide specialized product knowledge and personalized recommendations to help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions.
1Stdibs474 shared keywords1stDibs is an online marketplace for curated luxury goods, including furniture, jewelry, art, and fashion, connecting buyers with vetted sellers. It offers purchase protections such as authenticity guarantees, money-back guarantees, and price matching.
Shopmy444 shared keywordsShopMy operates a creator commerce platform linking premium brands, curators and shoppers via storefronts and affiliate tools.
Ashleyfurniture432 shared keywordsAshley Furniture is a home furnishings retailer selling furniture and decor across categories including living room, bedroom, kitchen and dining, home office, outdoor, mattresses, rugs, and kids' furniture. It sells online and through over 1,000 physical stores, positioning itself as a furniture home store in North America.
AptDeco414 shared keywordsAptDeco is an online marketplace where users buy and sell used furniture with integrated delivery services. The platform targets individuals in the apartment and home furnishing market, addressing pain points around scams, logistics, and environmental waste in secondhand furniture sales.
Companies competing with The Essential for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Frequently asked questions
- What does The Essential do?
- The Essential connects consumers directly to home goods manufacturers, eliminating retail intermediaries and markups while maintaining product quality. The company sells luxury home furnishings at reduced prices by sourcing directly from factories.
- Who founded The Essential?
- The Essential was founded by Chai Mishra in 2018.
- Who are The Essential's investors?
- The Essential's investors include Dorm Room, Y Combinator.
- Where is The Essential headquartered?
- The Essential is headquartered in San Francisco, US.