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The Essential

YC W17

San Francisco, US · Founded 2018 · 11 employees · 9 known investors

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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 Inhabit.io, Inc · Move · Movebutter · Movebutter, Move

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.

CMChai Mishra
Chai MishraFounder 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.
JK
Joyce KongCPO
KF
Kal FreeseInvestor \u0026 Growth Advisorformer
SW
Sebastian WerzProduct Advisor2015–2019
CH
Cheryl HsawSupply Chain Managerformer
JH
Jeffrey HsuVisual Designerformer
EN
Eric NoguesVice President of Opsformer

Investors · 9

FJ Labslisted by FJ LabsNew York · $100K – $3M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · fjlabs.com · Not right? Tell us

FundersClublisted by FundersClubSan Francisco · $290K

How we know: FundersClub's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us

Y Combinatorlisted by Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

How we know: the Y Combinator directory · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us

AltaIR CapitalreportedHerzliya

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

HousereportedBerkeley · $1M – $2M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Kima VenturesreportedParis · $50K – $5M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

MAGIC FundreportedLos Angeles · $50K – $5M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

WefunderreportedSan Francisco

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Related companies · 8

WayfairWayfair offers a product specialist service where technical experts provide specialized product knowledge and personalized recommendations to help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions.
MovleyOpsNinja provides quality inspection, auditing, and testing services for e-commerce sellers, primarily those on Amazon. The platform integrates with seller accounts to track product performance, returns, and quality metrics through a global network of inspectors and labs.
BinksBinks is a fashion brand that designs and sells women's clothing, primarily top wear including blouses, dresses, and kurtas, using sustainably sourced fabrics and a data-driven approach to sizing. The company uses 3D body measurements to create accurate size charts and offers a wide range of colors in contemporary silhouettes.
SpaceFlow Technologies, Inc.Spaceflow deploys and operates an on-premise enterprise AI stack—open frontier models, a governance gateway, and AI agents—that learns a company's existing systems and automates procurement and supply chain work such as reading supplier emails, comparing quotes, matching invoices to purchase orders, and routing approvals. It targets enterprises with air-gapped or regulated environments, including manufacturers, banks, and defence organizations.
1Stdibs1stDibs 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.
ShopmyShopMy operates a creator commerce platform linking premium brands, curators and shoppers via storefronts and affiliate tools.
AshleyfurnitureAshley 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.
AptDecoAptDeco 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 working in the same space as The Essential.

Legal entities · 1

corporate structure
Inhabit.io, Inc

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, FJ Labs, FundersClub, Y Combinator, AltaIR Capital, House, Kima Ventures, MAGIC Fund and 1 more.
Where is The Essential headquartered?
The Essential is headquartered in San Francisco, US.