What CipherX does

CipherX Technologies Ltd is a UK-based consumer technology company founded in 2021 and headquartered in London that has developed proprietary Microdot Tattoo Technology, a method for delivering painless, minimally invasive permanent tattoos. The company's product suite centers on the CX Applicator, the hardware device used to apply microdot tattoos, paired with INK/CTRL, a digital design tool that lets consumers preview and customize artwork prior to in-person application. The technology is currently limited to black ink, with additional colors stated to be in development, and the company positions its offering as a permanent alternative to semi-permanent makeup and microblading rather than a substitute for traditional tattooing.

CipherX operates a direct-to-consumer model combining owned e-commerce (cipherx.tattoo) with event-driven pop-up activations in England and Wales. Pricing, unit volumes, and unit economics are not disclosed. The company's customer base consists exclusively of individual adult consumers aged 18 and above, with no disclosed enterprise, B2B, or wholesale channels.

The company is early-stage by all observable measures: it has raised a single pre-seed round of approximately $437,104 from Antler in July 2023, operates with a team of 1-10 employees, and has no disclosed revenue figures. Strategic execution to date has focused on simultaneous product, software, and channel buildout rather than scaling a single proven line, leaving both commercial traction and runway duration unverified by the available data.

Name

CipherX

Legal name

CipherX Technologies Ltd

Website

https://cipherx.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CipherX Technologies Ltd is a London-based consumer technology company that has developed proprietary Microdot Tattoo Technology, offering painless, minimally invasive permanent tattoos via its CX Applicator and INK/CTRL design tool to individual adult consumers through DTC e-commerce and UK pop-up activations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Tattoo Technology

akta.pro primary industry

Microblading (Eyebrow Semi-Permanent Tattoo) (HSALAIAF)

Keywords

• Microdot tattoo technology
• Painless tattoo patches
• Pop-up tattoo services
• Biodegradable tattoo microstructures
• Custom tattoo design tool

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Microdot Tattoo Product Sales: One-time purchase of Microdot Tattoo patches redeemed and applied in-person at CipherX pop-up activations. Customers buy through the online store and redeem via QR code at a physical location. Direct on-site sales are also available at pop-ups.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CipherX develops and sells Microdot Tattoo Patches — single-use, gamma-irradiated patches using sub-1mm biodegradable microstructures to painlessly deposit permanent tattoo pigment into the upper layers of skin. Patches are applied in-person by trained CipherX staff at approved pop-up locations using the proprietary CX Tattoo Applicator, with custom designs created via the INK/CTRL online design tool and purchases completed through the cipherx.tattoo e-commerce store with QR-code-based redemption.

Product overview

CipherX is a tattoo technology company offering a unified product system centered on Microdot Technology. The core offering consists of Microdot Tattoo Patches—single-use, gamma-irradiated patches using microscopic structures to deliver permanent tattoo pigment painlessly—which are applied exclusively by trained CipherX staff using the CX Tattoo Applicator. Customers design custom tattoos using the INK/CTRL design tool (within a 15mm circular canvas) and purchase through the CipherX Tattoo Store. Redemption occurs at approved CipherX pop-up locations via QR code, where the tattoo develops over 24-48 hours. The company is registered as CipherX Technologies Ltd (company number 13607960) in England and Wales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microdot Tattoo Patches Single-use, gamma-irradiated patches containing microscopic biodegradable microstructures (smaller than 1mm) combined with tattoo pigment. They deliver permanent ink into the upper layers of the skin without reaching deeper nerves, enabling a painless, minimally invasive permanent tattoo. Applied exclusively by trained CipherX staff at approved pop-up locations.
• CX Tattoo Applicator Specialised applicator tool that positions and applies Microdot Tattoo Patches with the correct pressure and motion to ensure precise, reliable, and refined tattoo application. Used by trained CipherX staff during in-person pop-up tattoo experiences.
• INK/CTRL Design Tool Online tattoo design tool that allows customers to create and preview custom Microdot Tattoo designs within a 15mm diameter circular canvas. For standard purchases, designs are selected from the CipherX tattoo library.
• CipherX Tattoo Store Shopify-powered e-commerce platform (cipherx.tattoo) where customers purchase Microdot Tattoo products, receive QR codes for redemption at pop-ups, and book appointments. Supports Shopify Payments (Stripe), Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Quantifiable outcome

• Application takes ~5 minutes of hands-on time plus ~15 minutes of patch development (total ~25-30 minutes guided experience)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Inkbox: Inkbox offers semi-permanent (2-week) tattoos applied via a topical formula, targeting consumers who want real-looking tattoos without the long-term commitment or needle pain. Most directly comparable to CipherX on the painless/low-commitment tattoo thesis, though Inkbox's mechanism is topical rather than micro-injection and its offering is non-permanent.
• Ephemeral Tattoo: Ephemeral provides real, applied-by-tattoo-artist ink that fades in ~1 year, targeting tattoo-curious consumers. Comparable to CipherX in solving the permanence/anxiety friction of conventional tattoos, though it relies on traditional needle application and physical studio visits.
• Tattly: Tattly sells artist-designed temporary (fake) tattoos as a consumer lifestyle brand with a strong design-library aesthetic. Comparable to CipherX on the curated, design-forward tattoo-as-accessory positioning and D2C e-commerce motion, though Tattly's products are purely cosmetic and non-permanent.

Others

• Hustle Butter Deluxe: Hustle Butter Deluxe is a tattoo-specific skincare/aftercare brand widely used in studios. Relevant as an adjacent, enabling product in the tattoo consumer ecosystem where CipherX operates, but it does not compete with CipherX's tattoo-application technology.
• Tatship: Tatship is a tattoo booking and discovery app connecting consumers with artists. Relevant as an adjacent digital touchpoint in the tattoo customer journey that CipherX could partner with for awareness and appointment booking at pop-ups.

Broad incumbents

• Sephora: Sephora is a global multi-brand beauty retailer that distributes innovative beauty and personal-care products including semi-permanent cosmetics. Comparable as the type of broad incumbent retailer CipherX could eventually partner with for distribution of its Microdot Tattoo patches and applicator kits.
• Charlotte Tilbury: Charlotte Tilbury is a prestige beauty brand with strong in-store and digital beauty-tech activations (e.g., virtual try-on, pop-ups). Comparable as a benchmark for a premium beauty brand that uses experiential retail and product-led design tools — the same playbook CipherX is executing at smaller scale.

Emerging players

• Mad Rabbit Tattoo: Mad Rabbit sells tattoo aftercare and healing products to tattoo consumers and artists, building a consumer brand in the tattoo-adjacent skincare space. Comparable to CipherX as a consumer-facing brand monetising the tattoo experience, though product-focused rather than service/application-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cipherx.tech

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CipherX