MY BENI

Beni Rugs designs and produces artisanal Moroccan rugs, specializing in handwoven pieces crafted from natural fibers. The company integrates traditional regional weaving techniques, such as Atlas, Zahara, and Rabat styles, into custom designs. Operating from a dedicated facility in Morocco, Beni Rugs oversees the entire production process, ensuring quality, consistency, and transparency from wool sourcing to the final finishing, streamlining the complex realities of traditional rug-making.

The company was brought into existence in 2018 by co-founders Robert Wright and Tiberio Lobo-Navia. Their shared insight stemmed from a desire to foster stability, community, and economic opportunity within the Moroccan rug-making industry, which historically faced solitary and uncertain conditions. Wright and Lobo-Navia envisioned a model that honors the slow, meticulous craft while establishing a more supportive and ethical framework for local artisans.

Beni Rugs caters to discerning clients and design professionals who value authenticity, custom craftsmanship, and ethical production. The company’s long-term vision is to ensure that the craft of weaving remains a cherished and viable career, building and enhancing the local industry through ethical and sustainable practices. As a STEP Certified Partner since 2022, Beni Rugs is committed to fair trade operations, aiming to preserve heritage while improving livelihoods.

MY BENI appears to be a small, consumer-facing company in home goods and/or resale tech; available public information is limited and partly inconsistent across sources, so the profile below synthesizes what’s verifiable and flags areas of uncertainty.[1][2][4]

High-Level Overview

• Concise summary: MY BENI (also referenced simply as Beni in some sources) is associated with consumer-facing products in two different, likely separate, businesses: (A) a handcrafted/custom rug and home‑decor brand operating under names like “Beni Rugs” or “My Beni” focused on made‑to‑order Moroccan rugs and collaborations[5]; and (B) a resale/secondhand shopping technology startup called Beni that builds browser and shopping tools to aggregate resale inventory across marketplaces to make secondhand shopping easier[4][3]. Public profiles conflate these identities in some aggregators, so the exact corporate identity “MY BENI” is unclear across records.[1][2][5].
• For a portfolio/company style summary (resale tech Beni): The product is a browser extension and shopping app that aggregates listings from resale marketplaces to surface comparable, lower‑cost secondhand options for shoppers; it serves consumers looking to buy secondhand and resale marketplace partners; it solves the discovery problem across fragmented resale catalogs and aims to increase conversion to secondhand purchases by making resale as convenient as buying new[4][3]. Growth indicators reported include seed fundraising and partnerships with major resale marketplaces and an active beta and product development phase as of late 2022–2024[4][3].
• For the home‑decor / rug business (Beni / My Beni / Maana Studios): the product is handcrafted, customizable Moroccan rugs sold through a direct brand channel; it serves consumers and design professionals seeking artisanal rugs; it solves supply and quality issues in traditional rug sourcing by centralizing production and trade relationships, and emphasizes craft and ethical sourcing[5][2].

Origin Story

• Resale tech Beni: Founded as a Santa Barbara‑based startup from a 2020 thesis project and led by founders including Sarah Pinner (CEO & co‑founder) and others; the idea emerged to remove friction from buying secondhand by combining AI and partnerships with resale marketplaces; early traction included hitting beta metrics by August (reported 2022), securing partnerships (The RealReal, Rent the Runway, Vestiaire Collective, eBay, Kidizen), and raising seed rounds (reportedly ~$5M as referenced in podcast coverage)[4][3].
• Rug / home‑decor Beni (My Beni / Beni Rugs / Maana Studios): This line traces to a brand positioning handcrafted Moroccan rugs woven to order with studio collaborations and trade programs for design professionals; some databases list “My Beni” as an entity or earlier name and CB Insights references a rename to “MAANA STUDIOS,” though details are sparse and may reflect rebranding or data mismatch across platforms[5][2].

Core Differentiators

• For the resale tech Beni:
• Aggregation of many resale marketplaces into one discovery experience to reduce fragmentation and time to find secondhand items[4][3].
• AI search and personalization to surface relevant resale alternatives (team cited work on AI search and data ingestion challenges and solutions)[3][4].
• Partnerships with large resale marketplaces that provide inventory and affiliate revenue opportunities[4].
• Focus on user education and market growth for circular fashion to increase overall resale adoption[4].
• For the rug/home‑decor brand:
• Made‑to‑order, handwoven Moroccan rugs with curated design collaborations and a trade program for design professionals[5].
• Emphasis on ethical sourcing, artisan livelihoods, and centralized production to improve reliability and quality for customers[5].

Role in the Broader Tech / Design Landscape

• Resale tech Beni rides the growing trend toward circular consumption and resale marketplaces, leveraging increasing consumer environmental consciousness and marketplace inventory growth; timing matters because resale marketplaces are scaling and consumer acceptance of secondhand goods is rising, creating demand for discovery tools that aggregate across platforms[4][3].
• The rug/home‑decor Beni connects to trends in conscious sourcing, artisanal authenticity, and provenance in home design; centralized, transparent production and designer collaborations align with premiumization in home goods and increased demand for ethically produced decor[5].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

• Resale tech Beni: If the company continues to expand marketplace partnerships, improve AI search/product matching, and convert downloads into purchases, it can capture meaningful share of discovery for secondhand purchases and grow affiliate revenue; key risks include data ingestion complexity, competition from marketplaces building native discovery experiences, and the need to scale user education and trust[3][4].
• Rug/home‑decor Beni: Continued success depends on sustaining artisan relationships, scaling made‑to‑order operations without sacrificing quality, and leveraging partnerships with designers and trade channels; growth could come from expanded collaborations, interior‑design trade programs, and content marketing emphasizing craft and provenance[5].
• Overall: Public records for “MY BENI” are fragmented and reference at least two different business activities (resale tech and handcrafted rugs). Any investor or partner should verify which legal entity and branding they are evaluating and request up‑to‑date corporate materials, team lists, financials, and customer metrics.

Notes on sources and uncertainty

• The profile above synthesizes local press and podcast interviews about a resale startup called Beni[4][3], a company directory entry that lists product categories under “MY BENI”[1], CB Insights record noting a rename to MAANA STUDIOS and association with handcrafted rugs[2], and the brand website for Beni Rugs[5]. These sources are not fully consistent about one unified corporate identity; some represent separate businesses that share the “Beni” name. Readers should treat the identity and specifics of “MY BENI” as requiring direct confirmation from the company for decisive investment or partnership decisions[1][2][4][5].