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INKsearch from Wroclaw is changing the global tattoo industry

14.01.2022

INKsearch, a small Wroclaw-based startup, has one goal: to revolutionize the tattoo industry. They are already present in over 30 countries around the world, and in four years the company's value has reached 11 million PLN. They follow in the footsteps of such marketplace giants as Booksy or Znanylekarz.

  • INKsearch: tattoo lovers, at any time and anywhere in the world, can find the right artist.
  • INKsearch is used by more than 2,500 artists.
  • In 2021, there were more than 5,000 bookings on INKsearch with a total value of more than 3 million PLN.

Making an online appointment with an office, doctor or hairdresser is nothing unusual these days. Thanks to the Wroclaw startup INKsearch, this can also be done to a tattoo studio, but not only, because they offer an idea for a tattoo and the artist who will perform it, and this in 30 countries around the world.

– We help you find the best tattoo artists and studios all over Europe. We are currently used by more than 2500 artists and there are more and more of them, because for them we are a place to get new clients and a new form of booking. The mission of INKsearch.co is to digitalize the tattoo industry, just like Booksy did with the hairdressing industry or Znanylekarz did with the medical industry. To put it simply: if you are looking for a tattoo idea or an artist who will perform your idea, visit INKsearch.co and we will help you – Mateusz Lagowski co-founder of INKsearch.co.

INKsearch – a platform that connects studios, artists and tattoo lovers

The vision of the startup was born when its creators found out themselves how difficult it is to book an appointment in a tattoo studio. Mateusz Łagowski adds that people unfamiliar with the industry are proverbially uphill when it comes to choosing an artist, style or tattoo idea.

– The idea for the startup originated in 2016 in Berlin where, while working for Foodpanda, now known as Pyszene.pl, we created a similar solution for the online food booking industry – says Mateusz Łagowski.

Best tattoo artists in Poland. Tattoos, designs, studios and artists

INKsearch was founded in August 2018. Mateusz Łagowski and Sławomir Chojnicki, who initially created the platform from his flat in Toruń.

Mateusz is a graduate of University Bocconi in Milan and the University of North Florida, majoring in Fashion & Design Management, and International Business. Sławek is a programmer, graduated from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, majoring in Computer Science.

However, they quickly decided that the best place for their startup would be the capital of Lower Silesia.

Startup Wroclaw

– In our opinion Wroclaw is the best place for a startup to develop in Poland. This is determined by: very talented employees, much lower office costs, convenient connections to other cities in Poland, proximity to Berlin and Prague and a large number of very good tattoo studios, which for us is crucial. Looking from the perspective of other companies, Wroclaw is the place chosen by such companies as Brand24, SurferSEO or Payeye. So we are not the only startup that has chosen Wroclaw. If we were to choose a place to work on the development of our company, it would definitely be Wroclaw – say Mateusz Łagowski and Sławomir Chojnicki.

Tattoo Booking Platform INKsearch

The first version of Tattoo Booking Platform INKsearch.co was presented in June 2019 during a tattoo convention in Krakow. Since then, they say, they are the second platform in this industry in the European Union. They have already managed to raise PLN 3.1 million from investors for further development. In 2021, there were more than 5 thousand bookings on the platform with a total value of more than PLN 3 million.

Over the last 2 years they have been working on creating a product that will respond to the needs of both tattoo enthusiasts (INKsearch.co), tattoo artists (INKbusiness.co), people looking for education and information on news from the world of tattoo art (INKnews.co) and people wanting to buy art created by tattoo artists (tattooprints.pl).

– Our plans include marketing development based on products created by us. We are working hard to become the leader in online tattoo booking in the EU with the main focus on Berlin, London and Amsterdam. We plan to grow our artist community to 5,000 tattooists using INKbusiness. So 2022 is the year of sales and marketing development – Sławomir Chojnicki points out.

Inspiring tattoos. INKsearch style and tattoo idea

Startup INKsearch has grown from a two-person operation in 2018 to 15 people in four years. The founders of the startup have adopted the principle that employees have an impact on the development of the company.

– Having a small team, we follow the principle that every team member is a creator. We also constantly draw market knowledge from the best tattoo artists, who support us in our daily work to create a tailored product for the market. Additionally, our employees constantly have a chance to get shares in the company as a bonus by becoming shareholders – adds Mateusz Lagowski.

In the nearest future INKsearch plans to enlarge the Wroclaw team to 20 people and open an office in Berlin.

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