Cini&Nils was established in 1969, when two designers began to feel the need to offer their projects directly to themarket. A variety of products were developed by the combined efforts of Mario Melocchi and Franco Bettonica, many of which have since been acquired by the New York Museum of Moedern Art. Luta Bettonica and Luca Melocchi joined the company at a later stage, the former as a designer and art director, the latter as a manager and co-designer. Marco Pedersoli is reponsible for engineering all Cini&Nils luminaires.

In the seventies, Franco Bettonica and Mario Melocchi applied their creativity to lighting technology, designing the Cuboluce in 1972, the link in the chain between décor accessories and light fittings.