Matty Benedetto
Matty Benedetto | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 31, 1990[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2010s–present |
| Known for | Unnecessary Inventions |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Genres |
|
| Subscribers | 5.34 million |
| Views | 3,969,461,831 |
| Last updated: February 9, 2026 | |
| Website | unnecessaryinventions |
Matty Benedetto is an American product designer, inventor, and internet creator based in Burlington, Vermont. He is known for creating satirical product concepts under the brand Unnecessary Inventions,[2] which he documents in short-form and long-form videos across social media platforms.
Early life and education
Benedetto grew up in the suburbs of New York City.[3] He moved to Vermont in 2008 to attend college and studied at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont.[3]
Career
Early business ventures
Before founding Unnecessary Inventions, Benedetto worked on consumer-product businesses spanning apparel, mobile accessories, and travel goods.[4] He began with a crocheted ski-hat business later rebranded as Eastern Collective. In 2012, Eastern Collective introduced fabric-woven iPhone charging cables. Benedetto subsequently founded Sondre Travel, a travel-accessories business that used Kickstarter to fund product launches. As of June 2019, the company had completed five Kickstarter campaigns and had generated more than $325,000 in preorders.[5]
Unnecessary Inventions
Benedetto began posting "unnecessary inventions" in 2019, starting with a concept known as "AirSticks," which he first shared on Reddit before building an audience on Instagram and YouTube.[3] The brand's videos typically present humorous "solutions" to minor or invented inconveniences and are often styled as infomercials.
Monetization and brand partnerships
Benedetto's creator business draws revenue from platform advertising and sponsored work, with brand deals a significant component. Reported collaborations have included campaigns built around custom “inventions” for brands such as Canon, Dunkin’ Donuts, Call of Duty, and DoorDash.[6]
Studio and production
Benedetto works from a 6,400-square-foot studio in Burlington, Vermont outfitted with a large array of fabrication tools and more than 20 3D printers (including a specialty “chocolate printer”).[7] The space is set up to support rapid, one-off prototyping for on-camera demonstrations, with dedicated areas for electronics (soldering), general assembly, and video/lighting gear. On April 5, 2024, a fire occurred at Bernie Sanders' senatorial office in Burlington[8][9] activating the sprinkler system in the building and damaging Unnecessary Studios with water damage.[10][11][12]
Cease-and-desist
In 2019, Benedetto received a cease-and-desist letter from Crocs after posting a video in which he 3D-printed a parody product he called “Crocs Gloves” and used the company's name and logo. Benedetto removed the branding and renamed the item “Gator Grips.”[13]
Recognition
Unnecessary Inventions was a nominee in the Science and Engineering category for the 11th Streamy Awards (2021).[14]
References
- ^ Pollak, Sally (February 4, 2022). "Captain Morgan and Burlington's Matty Benedetto Stir the Super Bowl (Party) Action". Seven Days. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ Baffo, Shirley Cheng, Anthony. "This product designer tricks the internet with irresistible fake products". Business Insider. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Bolles, Dan (June 19, 2019). "The Unreal Genius of Entrepreneur and Inventor Matt Benedetto". Seven Days. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ Viglienzoni, Cat (May 10, 2019). "Vermont man gains internet fame for 'unnecessary inventions'". www.wcax.com. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Bolles, Dan (June 19, 2019). "The Unreal Genius of Entrepreneur and Inventor Matt Benedetto". Seven Days. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ Hale, James (October 27, 2021). "Creators On The Rise: Matty Benedetto Makes A Living By Making Things No One Needs". Tubefilter. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ Bolles, Dan (October 23, 2024). "Unnecessary Inventions Founder Matty Benedetto's Studio". Seven Days. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ Treisman, Rachel (April 7, 2024). "A man was charged with setting a fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders' Vermont office". NPR. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Rathke, -Lisa; Rathke, Associated Press Lisa; Press, Associated (April 11, 2024). "Man accused of lighting fire outside Bernie Sanders' office had past brushes with the law". PBS News. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Bolles, Dan (October 23, 2024). "Unnecessary Inventions Founder Matty Benedetto's Studio". Seven Days. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ "Unnecessary setbacks. My building caught on fire earlier today on one of the upper floors and my design studio took the brunt of the water damage. Thankfully the fire department tried to cover up as… | Matty Benedetto | 70 comments". LinkedIn. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Unnecessary Inventions (April 17, 2024). My Design Studio Was Destroyed... Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via YouTube.
- ^ Bolles, Dan (August 9, 2019). "Crocs Issues Cease and Desist Order to Unnecessary Inventions Creator Matt Benedetto". Seven Days. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ "11th Annual Streamy Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved February 10, 2026.