Knoll is a furniture manufacturing company, founded in New York in 1938 by Hans G. Knoll, a German entrepreneur who moved to the United States. It manufactured chairs, tables, sofas, armchairs, fabrics and a wide range of accessories. The original name was "The Hans G. Knoll Furniture Company".

Hans Knoll, known for his optimism and ambition, hung a sign in his one-room office reading "Factory No. 1". His intention was to import furniture from Europe but, as the war progressed, it became increasingly difficult to make safe shipments so, at the same time, Hans began to search the domestic market for both pieces to add to his line and designers from whom he could commission original pieces.

The birth of the company went with the birth of the Bauhaus. Hans Knoll, born in Stuttgart in 1914, was the second son of Walter Knoll, a successful second-generation furniture manufacturer. His grandfather, Wilhelm Knoll, founded the family business in 1865 and enjoys a great reputation for high-quality furniture. Walter and his brother, Wilhelm II, decided to reorient the business and create modern furniture in the wake of the birth of the Bauhaus movement.