Blackdot

The tattoo industry is massive—but despite its cultural significance and growing demand, it's stuck in the past: fragmented, inaccessible, unscalable, and almost entirely offline. Concerns around pain, inconsistent quality, long waitlists, and a lack of access to great designs keep everyday people from getting the tattoos they want. Meanwhile, talented tattoo artists are maxed out, studios can't scale, and brands are shut out.

Enter Blackdot.

We’re transforming this soon-to-be $4B+ global industry by creating the first scalable tattoo platform—powered by a patented automated tattooing device and the online tattoo art marketplace.

[Unpaid Endorsement] 18-Month Tattoo Update: @aussiedomxo (beauty & lifestyle) (2:15)

Blackdot was founded in 2019 with an ambitious idea: to completely rethink the way tattoos are created and experienced. To have our pursuit recognized by WSJ (one of the most respected publications in the world) is a significant milestone for our team, our supporting artists, and the early believers who saw this before the world did.

➤ Read the full article here

Shark Tank Pitch—Aired March 2025 (4:02)

Market traction since Shark Tank

1. Received 325+ leasing requests from tattoo studios and retailers representing $38M+/year in ARR.
2. Active pilot deployment at Bang Bang NYC (the most followed tattoo studio in the world)
3. Deploying Blackdot devices into the largest tattoo studio chain in Canada (targeting 40 devices over 5 years). The initial Blackdot device is forecasted to go into service in January of 2026.

Why didn't the Sharks invest?

1. Valuation: The offer presented to the Sharks was $1.5M for 5% equity, reflecting a $30M valuation at the time of filming (summer 2024). Aside from questions about revenue, the Sharks did not inquire about previous valuations, financings, intellectual property, competitive landscape, market demand (from either consumers or studios), or other fundamentals that tie into valuation. It appears their investment strategy favors opportunities where they can obtain substantial equity ownership for relatively modest capital. As a result, our offer likely fell outside their typical investment thesis. For context, we had previously raised $1.7M in a priced round at a $20M pre-money valuation in 2021—before the Blackdot device was built.
2. Lease Pricing Not Available: Leading up to the episode filming in summer 2024, we were in the process of securing approximately $2M in project funding from a strategic partner. A key condition of this funding was a significant pivot in our go-to-market strategy: moving from launching Blackdot-owned and operated tattoo studios to leasing the Blackdot device to existing tattoo studios and compatible retailers. This fundamental shift required reworking our pricing model, and there simply wasn’t enough time to finalize lease pricing before filming—moreover it's not obvious we would want to share it on a national stage. Without pricing and margin details, the Sharks voiced they were unable to properly evaluate the investment opportunity, which ultimately deterred them from investing.
3. NOTE: We did not actively seek to appear on Shark Tank, the network's casting team reached out to us directly expressing interest in having us participate on the show.

$3.9B - Forecasted size of the tattoo market

The US tattoo market is currently valued at $1.6B and the global tattoo market is expected to reach $3.9B by 2030. Forecasted industry growth (CARG) is 9.9%. Tattoo is often cited as one of the most recession-proof industries alongside funeral homes and healthcare.

Our estimates suggest the actual global market could be 2–3 times higher than forecasted size, potentially reaching $8B–$12B

Our research shows that the 26,000+ tattoo studios in the US operate largely as a cash-based business. As a result, we believe the total addressable market (TAM) is significantly underreported.

*Source: Fortune Business Insights 2023

IBISWorld 2023 & 2024

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46% - Nearly half of the under 40 population in the US has one or more tattoos

Few Americans purchase only one tattoo. Almost 70% who choose to tattoo have multiple tattoos. This unprecedented growth is being driven by younger generations (Gen Y & Z) that are acquiring more tattoos at a faster rate than at any other time in recorded history.

*Source: Statista 2017 & 2021, YPulse Poll 2022

Blackdot Tattoo Market Analytics 2023

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40M+

The untapped portion of the market considering a tattoo but holding back for one or more reasons

Fear of the pain associated with traditional tattooing, limited design options, concern with the appearance of the end result, and intimidation of the typical tattoo studio can hold people back from getting a tattoo. Blackdot’s unique approach addresses these concerns, finally opening up tattoo as an option for this significant population segment.

*Source: Statista Survey 2017

2020 US Census

Blackdot Overview: Joel Pennington (Founder/CEO) & Yan Azdoud (CTO) (5:37)

Blackdot Tattooing End-to-End Process (1:43)

Offer Precision, Predictability & Tattoo Longevity

1. A skilled tattoo artist generally operates in the 100-300 micron positional accuracy range. The Blackdot device has <50 micron positional accuracy enabling it to tattoo intricate designs and micro portraits that would be unattainable otherwise.
2. Clients can take comfort that the design they want is what they will get, no more hoping for the best.
3. By depositing the ink precisely at the skin's epidermis/dermis junction, the tattoo's appearance will be better preserved as it ages (minimizes the likelihood of drop outs & blow outs).

Tattoo Art From Around the World

1. Today, tattoo studios are limited as to what styles and designs their in-house artists are able to offer. The Blackdot marketplace enables studio owners the ability to monetize a wide variety of amazing designs from top artists the world over.
2. In-house studio artists are able to make passive income by uploading their designs to the Blackdot marketplace and receiving royalties wherever their designs are executed as a tattoo.

Execute Ultra-Precise Text Tattoos (with spell check!)

1. Text tattoos are among the most commonly requested styles—and also among the most challenging to execute cleanly at a small scale. The human eye is uniquely adept at determining if an 'o' is perfectly round, or if the lines in a capital E are indeed parallel.
2. Blackdot provides studios with a first-of-its-kind tattoo font engine that enables tattoo studios and compatible retail to rapidly deliver stunning text tattoos. Everything from elegant script to retro block lettering to non-western alphabets, the possibilities are vast.
3. With integrated spell-check, tattoo seekers will have "no ragrets".

A Tattooing Experience with Minimal Discomfort

1. Tattoo Seekers get fast, high-quality tattoos with minimal discomfort.
2. Blackdot tattoos typically rate 1–2/10 on the pain scale whereas traditional tattoos are often in the 5-8/10 range.
3. Fear of pain is often cited as one of the top reasons people are hesitant to get a tattoo.

Tattoo Talks: Minimal Discomfort with Blackdot (:49)

Easy & Effective Laser Removal

1. Studio owners benefit from enabling customers to come back and change out their tattoos (recognizing that tastes and preferences change over time).
2. Even with the latest Pico laser technology, traditional tattoos typically take 12-16 sessions over the course of 18-24 months to remove. Some can take considerably longer (i.e., 3+ years) based on depth of ink.
3. Because we deposit the ink precisely at the epidermis/dermis junction and can control the number of punctures to make a single dot, the ink is uniformly deposited (i.e., no deep ink wells that are difficult to remove).
4. All of our dots are intentionally placed, we’re more akin to ‘stick-and-poke’ tattooing (which is the oldest form of tattooing). As such, there is no scarring as we’re not over working the skin. If you run your fingers over a Blackdot tattoo, it will feel perfectly smooth.

This Blackdot tattoo on Joel's forearm was completely removed in 4 sessions in under 6 months at Removery in Austin, TX

Background: Bang Bang NYC is the most followed tattoo studio in the world and is the default studio for celebrities such as Rhianna, Justin Bieber, LeBron, Adele, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus.

In 2H24, a strategic partner provided Blackdot with ~$2M of project funding to collaborate with Bang Bang NYC so that operational efficiency and consumer demand can be benchmarked.

The pilot deployment is active at Bang Bang NYC through the end of 2025.

MJ (CSO @ Bang Bang NYC) (Tiger) (1:10)

Amanda G (Mona Lisa Eyes) (1:42)

Justin W (Tech Brain by Omer Tunca) (2:26)

Joel Pennington (Founder & CEO @ Blackdot) (Smashing Pumpkins Glyphs) (1:43)

Taylor H & Laurren H (Matching tattoos executed simultaneously on two devices) (:58)

Maddy F (Peaches) (1:35)

Ben R (This Too Shall Pass in Greek) (1:35)

Holly R (1395) (:41)

Art & memorabilia can be licensed at scale via the Blackdot marketplace

1. Tattoo Artists: Top-performing tattoo artists are booked out for months or even years, unable to scale their work and limited to trading time for income. Blackdot enables artists to generate passive income by licensing their designs, creating scalable opportunities in an industry with a traditionally low ceiling.
2. Visual Artist: Many visual art designs are too intricate for manual tattooing, making them inaccessible for skin application. Blackdot makes it possible to accurately translate complex visual artwork into tattoos, unlocking a new medium for artists and expanding what’s possible in body art.
3. Public Figures & Celebrities: When a tattooist is added between a public figure and their fans, the result loses its authenticity—clients care about exactness and direct connection. Blackdot’s precision preserves every fine detail, ensuring fans receive tattoos that are true to the original work, strengthening that personal connection.
4. Brands: Brand owners struggle to ensure their visual assets are consistently and accurately represented in tattoos, which can dilute brand equity. With Blackdot, brand owners can control how their assets appear on skin, ensuring consistent, high-quality reproductions that reflect their identity.

Tattoo Artist Spotlight: Omer Tunca (1:24)

Visual Artist Spotlight: John Craig (1:11)

Visual Artist Spotlight: Tyler Hobbs (1:56)

Significant portfolio of patents, trademarks, trade secrets & accumulated know-how.

1. (6) US Issued Patents:
2. No. 11,839,734
3. No. 11,376,407
4. No. 11,547,841
5. No. 11,890,441
6. No. 12,178,980
7. No. 12,201,797
8. (2) European applications to pursue protection in France, Germany, UK, etc.
9. Multiple Open patent families (“Open” means Blackdot has a pending application that can be used to pursue additional protection)
10. (2) Registered Trademarks: BLACKDOT & Blackdot logo/mark (dot-drop)

1. Jan 2019: Incorporated as Del C Corp
2. Mid-2019: First dots on a human with prototype
3. Dec 2019: Closed $2.2M on VC-led SAFE ($16M cap, 20% discount)
4. 2020-2021: Invented handheld tattooing device, extensive tattooing of test dots
5. Sept 2021: First fully automated tattoo on a human
6. Sept 2021: Closed $1.7M on VC-led Seed priced round ($20M pre money valuation)
7. July 2022: First technology patent (US11376407)
8. Sept 2022: First micro grayscale tattoo (Mona Lisa ‘In the Eyes’)
9. April 2023: First credit card sized grayscale tattoos
10. Oct 2023: Launched Blackdot
11. Oct 2023: Sold out Tyler Hobbs limited edition tattoos in 2 weeks ($9,875 each)
12. Dec 2023: First commercial tattoo executed
13. March 2024: SXSW Innovation Award Finalist (Category: Future)
14. Feb 2025: Closed $2.5M strategic-led financing ($33M-$55M cap, 15% discount)
15. June 2025: Bang Bang NYC announces collaboration with Blackdot
16. June 2025: Wefunder community round goes live
17. July 2025: Wall Street Journal publishes full-length feature on Blackdot
18. July 2025: Bang Bang NYC offers Blackdot tattoos to the public

We’re making available a small financing round via a SAFE ($33M cap, 15% discount, Preferred Stock conversion) in response to demand post-Shark Tank. This round will fuel new deployments, scale partnerships, and expand the Blackdot marketplace.

Targeted Use of Funds:

1. Build the first batch of Blackdot devices to be deployed by largest tattoo studio chain in Canada (first device is set to go live in January of 2026).
2. Hire fractional resources to expand the functionality of the Blackdot marketplace.
3. Hire a CFO or Controller with technology contract experience (can be fractional).

By participating, investors gain access to a defensible tech platform with strong IP, traction, and a category-defining opportunity. We’re not just putting ink on skin—we’re redrawing the boundaries of what’s possible in personal expression.

Greg Carter - Angel Investor - $25k (:45)

FusionX Ventures - Institutional Investor - $4.1M (1:01)

Tattoo Talks: Gary Peterson - Angel Investor - $150k (1:01)

Pine Beach Holdings - Family Office Investor - $348k (1:25)

Tyler Hobbs - Renowned Generative Artist

Vince Kadlubek - Founder, Meow Wolf (large scale, interactive art experiences in multiple cities)

Rajan Ramaswamy - President, Novo Engineering (Contract Design & Manufacturing)

Matthew Stephens - Founder, Deviant Art (world's largest online art community)

Medical & cosmetic applications

1. There appears to be a market for a device that can perform high-precision cosmetic operations on skin (e.g Botox, micro-needling, micro-blading, scalp micro-pigmentation).
2. Our issued patents extend into medical.

Tattoo removal

1. Our machine vision tech & device positioning capabilities enable us to leverage best in class laser removal technology with more accuracy (i.e., directing the laser’s energy to only the areas of the tattoo that have embedded ink, that capability doesn’t currently exist today).
2. A more near-term opportunity is to incorporate existing laser removal technology and offer removal as an additional service.