Asili

What Asili does

Asili is a privately held, founder-stage e-commerce and wholesale business headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, that designs and distributes small-batch, ethically sourced homeware and decor. The product portfolio consists of handcrafted items across three material categories: hand-carved soapstone vessels sourced from Kisii in southwestern Kenya, jacaranda wood bowls also sourced from Kenya, and bowls produced from ethically sourced Ankole cattle horn in Kampala, Uganda. Production is delivered through long-tenured artisan groups that are Fair Trade Certified, including a nine-year relationship with a master soapstone carver, positioning Asili's value proposition around provenance, fair-trade credentials, and intentional counter-positioning to mass production.

The company monetizes through three revenue streams: direct-to-consumer sales of made-to-order and stock items via the asilidesign.co storefront; wholesale distribution to independent retail stockists; and a B2B custom production service that develops bespoke ranges for independent brands and designers. Pricing is quote-based for B2B engagements and individually listed for retail SKUs, but no structured pricing tiers are publicly disclosed. Marketing is executed primarily through organic social (Instagram, Facebook), an email newsletter, and The Journal blog, with a deliberate storytelling emphasis on maker profiles and transparent sourcing rather than paid acquisition.

Operationally, Asili runs with 1–10 employees and discloses no institutional funding, no management team publicly, and no revenue figures. The competitive position is grounded in brand storytelling, certified ethical sourcing, and embedded artisan relationships rather than scale advantages, technology differentiation, or network effects. Strategic posture is consistent with a lifestyle-impact small business rather than a venture-scale operator.

Name

Asili

Legal name

Asili

Website

https://asili.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handcrafted Homeware

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Wholesale-Durable Goods, Nec (5099), Pottery & Related Products (3260)

akta.pro primary industry

Used Kitchenware & Tabletop Retail (Cookware, Dishes, Glassware) (CRAIANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

Keywords

• Handcrafted homeware
• Ethically sourced decor
• Fair trade artisan
• Soapstone vessels
• Horn craft bowls

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (Online): Direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of ethically designed homeware and decor items including soapstone vessels, horn bowls, and jacaranda wood bowls. Products sold as made-to-order or stock items.
2. Wholesale: Wholesale distribution to stockists and retailers carrying ethically sourced artisanal products.
3. B2B Custom Production: Custom range creation services for independent brands and designers, offering collaborative product development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Asili designs and retails small, low-run collections of ethically handcrafted homeware and decor, including hand-carved Kisii soapstone vessels, jacaranda wood bowls, and ethically sourced Ankole cattle horn bowls. Products are sold made-to-order or as stock items through the Asili Design e-commerce storefront, wholesale to retail stockists, and via B2B custom range development for independent brands and designers. All items are produced by Fair Trade Certified artisan groups in Kenya and Uganda.

Product overview

Asili is a collaborative platform offering small, low-run collections of ethically designed home goods and décor items. The product portfolio consists of handmade artisan products including soapstone vessels and bowls sourced from Western Kenya (Kisii region), Jacaranda wood bowls from Kenya, and Ankole cattle horn bowls from Uganda. All items are made to order or available as stock items. The company operates a B2B wholesale channel alongside direct-to-consumer online sales, and offers custom range creation for independent brands and designers. Products are categorized as either 'Made to Order' or 'Stock Items' (Ready to Ship), and include the Roll Vessel Pink Stone, Jacaranda Round Bowl with Handles, Curved Horn Bowl, and Jacaranda Natural Round Bowl.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Roll Vessel Pink Stone

Quantifiable outcome

• Fair Trade Certified production ensuring fair wages and working conditions

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Soapstone Artisan Communities (Kisii, Kenya)coreOthersHand-carved soapstone sourced from Kisii, southwestern Kenya. Soapstone carving is the primary source of income for many families who sell their work in local markets. Long-term working relationships with artisan groups including master carver Simeon (9+ years).
• Horn-Craft Artisans (Kampala, Uganda)coreOthersHorn products produced from ethically sourced Ankole Cattle Horn, a byproduct of Uganda's beef industry. Artisans showcase craftsmanship while generating income to support families.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ten Thousand Villages: Fair Trade Certified nonprofit retailer of handcrafted homeware and gifts from artisan groups in developing countries. Directly comparable to Asili in fair trade artisan model, homeware product category, and impact-driven brand positioning.
• NOVICA: Online retailer of handcrafted artisan homeware and décor sourced from global maker communities. Comparable to Asili in artisan sourcing model, handcrafted homeware focus, and direct-from-artisan supply chain.
• Made Trade: Online marketplace and brand curating ethically made, Fair Trade Certified homeware and fashion from global artisans. Directly comparable to Asili in fair trade certification, artisan sourcing model, and curated ethical homeware assortment.
• The Citizenry: Direct-to-consumer ethical homeware brand that partners with global artisan groups to produce small-batch home goods. Closely comparable to Asili in DTC+wholesale model, Fair Trade positioning, and story-driven content strategy.
• Goodee: Ethical home goods marketplace sourcing handcrafted, sustainably produced décor from artisan makers worldwide. Comparable to Asili through artisan-driven homeware retail, ethical sourcing narrative, and DTC e-commerce model.
• The Little Market: Fair trade nonprofit marketplace offering handcrafted homeware and accessories from global artisan communities. Directly comparable to Asili through fair trade artisan homeware focus, ethical mission, and curated small-batch product model.
• Nkuku: UK-based ethical homeware and lifestyle brand sourcing handmade, fair trade goods from artisan producers globally. Comparable to Asili in fair trade artisan homeware assortment, ethical brand story, and direct-to-consumer + wholesale channels.

Broad incumbents

• Crate & Barrel: Large omnichannel homeware and kitchenware retailer with global sourcing and dedicated artisan/craft collections. Comparable in serving the homeware and tabletop category but with mass-market positioning rather than Asili's boutique ethical narrative.
• West Elm: Major homeware and furniture retailer carrying a Fair Trade Certified assortment and global artisan collections. Comparable to Asili in fair trade homeware category presence but operates at vastly greater scale across broader price tiers.
• Made.com: Large-scale DTC homeware and furniture retailer offering design-led products at accessible prices. Comparable as a broader homeware DTC player but operates at much larger scale with less artisan/fair trade differentiation than Asili.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/asili.co
• Instagraminstagram.com/asili.co
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asili-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asili