Niccolò Bencini

Post-pitch story

Michele Callegari and Niccolò Bencini founded Barberino's in Italy in 2015, and by the time they came to The Pitch it was, by their account, the country's top luxury men's grooming brand, with 16 locations and about 70 master barbers. They pitched it as the Ferrari of men's grooming. Season 13, Episode 3 aired in March 2025, and they told the panel their Madison Avenue flagship in New York had broken even in six months. The momentum carried into the summer. In July 2025, Barberino's raised $1.2 million to keep expanding in the U.S., with plans for two more New York shops by the end of 2025 and another in 2026. Among the backers were Eric and Myriam Malka, the founders of The Art of Shaving, a fitting endorsement for a grooming brand. A month later, SAUJET Holdings announced a strategic investment in Barberino's, its first in men's grooming, aimed at more U.S. flagships and selling products online and through other retailers. Barberino's figures on repeat customers and store profits come from the founders themselves. But the outside money and the store openings are public, and they point to an Italian barbershop that's settling in nicely in America.