Casini
Casini (LA SCARPA SRL) is a family-owned Italian leather workshop, founded in the 1930s, that designs and sells Aura — the world's only sitting ball entirely coated in handcrafted full-grain leather — directly to professionals, home office users, and design enthusiasts via its own e-commerce website.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersSan Miniato, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Casini does
Casini (legal entity LA SCARPA SRL, operating as Maurizio Casini) is a third-generation Italian family-owned leather workshop based in San Miniato, Tuscany, founded in the 1930s as a tannery. The company produces Aura, a sitting ball (fitness/balance ball) whose interior is a plastic ball made in Italy with a counterweighted lower portion for stability and an anti-slip base, entirely encased in a hand-sewn full-grain leather coat manufactured from approximately 2.5 square meters of French-cattle leather processed through a proprietary 12-step vegetable tanning process taking 20-25 days. The product supports up to 140 kg and is offered across eight collections (Natural, Vegetal, Suede, Nappa, Coccodrillo, Alveare, Cavallino, and New Collection) with varied colorways and textures. The company has also extended into a second product line, the Zaino leather backpack.
The business operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce operation through its bilingual Italian/English website (mauriziocasini.it), supplemented by Instagram and Facebook presence and an email newsletter subscription funnel. Sales are one-time hardware transactions of the inflated ball unit plus pump; pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires a contact form request. Customer segments are two: primary professionals and office workers seeking ergonomic seating for desk use, and secondary home users and design enthusiasts attracted to premium Italian-made design objects. The company has 11-50 employees, no external funding, no third-party retail or distributor relationships, and no geographic restrictions beyond its European market presence. The legal entity is a private Italian SRL (LA SCARPA SRL) with P.IVA 01827950500, wholly under family control with founder Maurizio Casini maintaining direct operational involvement. The brand is built on three pillars: generational leather craftsmanship heritage, made-in-Italy artisanal production, and the uniqueness of positioning the sitting ball as a luxury design object rather than a commodity fitness product.
Casini firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Casini
- Legal name
- LA SCARPA SRL
- Website
- https://mauriziocasini.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Casini (LA SCARPA SRL) is a family-owned Italian leather workshop, founded in the 1930s, that designs and sells Aura — the world's only sitting ball entirely coated in handcrafted full-grain leather — directly to professionals, home office users, and design enthusiasts via its own e-commerce website.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Casini industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Leather Furniture / Ergonomic Seating
- NAICS
- Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (31699), Luggage and Leather Goods Retailers (458320), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)
- SIC
- Leather & Leather Products (3100), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wallets, Small Leather Goods & Accessories Manufacturing (IMAOAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sports, Outdoor & Adventure Packs Manufacturing (Backpacks/Duffels) (IMAOAHAE), Luxury Small Leather Goods & Wallets (CRAKAFAC)
Keywords
Where Casini is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Miniato
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Casini business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Aura Sitting Ball Sales: One-time sale of the Aura leather-covered sitting ball. The product is sold as a complete unit including the inflated ball and pump. No recurring revenue model; each sale is a one-time transaction.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Casini product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Casini designs, manufactures, and sells the Aura sitting ball — a plastic fitness/balance ball entirely coated in handcrafted full-grain Italian leather, produced in multiple leather collections (Vegetal, Suede, Nappa, Natural, Coccodrillo, Alveare, Cavallino, New). The company also sells a complementary handcrafted leather backpack (Zaino). All products are sold directly to consumers through the company's bilingual website.
Product overview
Casini (Maurizio Casini) is an Italian family-owned company with over 90 years of heritage in leather craftsmanship, founded in the 1930s. The company produces Aura, the world's only sitting ball (fitness/exercise ball) entirely coated in premium handcrafted Italian leather, available in multiple collections including Vegetal, Suede, Nappa, Natural, Coccodrillo, Alveare, Cavallino, and New Collection. Additionally, the company offers Zaino, a handcrafted leather backpack. All products feature full-grain leather sourced from French cattle, processed through a 20-25 day, 12-step artisanal tanning process, with hand-sewn double seams and internal reinforcement capable of supporting up to 140 kg. Products are distributed directly through the company's website.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Aura: The main product brand - a sitting ball entirely coated in handcrafted full-grain leather. Features include being waterproof, supporting up to 140kg, made with 2.5 square meters of leather, and hand-sewn with double seams.
Products and services
- Aura Sitting Ball A sitting ball (fitness/balance ball) entirely coated in high-quality handcrafted Italian leather. The plastic interior features a counterweighted lower section for stability and an anti-slip base. The leather exterior uses 2.5 sqm of full-grain leather from French cattle, hand-sewn with double seams and internal reinforcement, supporting up to 140 kg. Available in multiple leather collections including Natural, Vegetal, Suede, Nappa, Coccodrillo, Alveare, Cavallino, and New Collection. Sold as a complete unit with an inflation pump.
- Zaino Leather Backpack A handcrafted leather backpack made in Italy, featuring the same high-quality leather and craftsmanship as the Aura sitting ball.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supports up to 140 kg of weight
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Casini
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Casini technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Casini partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Casini competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Ligne Roset: French premium furniture and lifestyle brand with strong design heritage. Comparable on craft-driven premium positioning and treating furniture as design objects, though operating at broader scale than Casini.
- Smythson: British luxury leather goods brand with strong heritage and craft credentials. Comparable on premium small leather goods positioning and DTC-led luxury distribution model, though focused on stationery and personal accessories.
Broad incumbents
- Cassina: Italian high-end design furniture maker with strong Made-in-Italy craftsmanship DNA. Comparable on Italian design heritage, premium positioning, and treating furniture as collectible design objects.
- Humanscale: Premium ergonomic office furniture brand including active seating solutions. Comparable on the wellness/ergonomic seating thesis and target buyer (office professionals), though distributed through B2B contract channels rather than DTC luxury.
- Poltrona Frau: Italian luxury leather furniture manufacturer. Comparable on Italian leather craftsmanship heritage, premium materials, and Made-in-Italy positioning, though focused on upholstered furniture rather than ergonomic seating balls.
- Bottega Veneta: Iconic Italian luxury leather goods maison. Comparable on heritage Italian leather craftsmanship, premium pricing, and catering to luxury consumers, though at much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
- Gaiam: Mass-market wellness and yoga/lifestyle brand with broad distribution. Comparable in the sense of selling fitness balls and ergonomic accessories to health-conscious consumers, but at vastly larger scale and lower price points.
Direct peers
- Ledraplastic: Italian manufacturer of fitness, rehabilitation, and ergonomic balls. Comparable in product format and Italian origin, though again at commodity price points rather than premium leather-clad.
- Sissel: European manufacturer of ergonomic seating balls and balance products. Most directly comparable to Casini's Aura in product category and target use case (posture/fitness seating), though lacking the luxury leather exterior.
- Gymnic: Italian maker of professional exercise and physiotherapy balls. Overlaps with Casini on the underlying fitness/balance ball platform, though positioned at mainstream rather than luxury price points.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Casini social profiles
Digital presenceCasini financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Casini leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Casini funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Casini M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Casini
What does Casini do?
Casini designs, manufactures, and sells the Aura sitting ball — a plastic fitness/balance ball entirely coated in handcrafted full-grain Italian leather, produced in multiple leather collections (Vegetal, Suede, Nappa, Natural, Coccodrillo, Alveare, Cavallino, New). The company also sells a complementary handcrafted leather backpack (Zaino). All products are sold directly to consumers through the company's bilingual website.
Is Casini a public or private company?
Casini is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Casini founded?
Casini was founded in 1930. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Casini based?
Casini is headquartered in San Miniato, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Casini make money?
One revenue line is on record: aura Sitting Ball Sales.
Who are Casini's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Ligne Roset and Smythson. Broad incumbents are Cassina, Humanscale, Poltrona Frau, Bottega Veneta and Gaiam. Direct peers are Ledraplastic, Sissel and Gymnic.
Does Casini have an API?
No public API is recorded for Casini.
What industry is Casini in?
Casini's product category is Premium Leather Furniture / Ergonomic Seating. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAHAB, Wallets, Small Leather Goods & Accessories Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMAOAHAE, Sports, Outdoor & Adventure Packs Manufacturing (Backpacks/Duffels). Its NAICS code is 31699 and its SIC code is 3100.