What Zentangle does

Zentangle, Inc. is a privately held, family-operated company founded in 2003 by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, that has commercialized a structured drawing methodology known as the Zentangle Method. The method teaches users to create non-representational images through repetitive, predefined patterns called "tangles," executed via an 8-step proprietary framework (Gratitude and Appreciation, Corner Dots, Border, String, Tangle, Shade, Initial and Sign, Appreciate) and a Deconstruction process that reduces patterns to elemental strokes. The company sells physical supplies — starter kits ($45–$114), Project Packs ($22.95–$39.95), specialty paper tiles in multiple formats, Sakura Micron and Gelly Roll pens, and instructional books (Zentangle Primer Vol. 1, The Book of Zentangle) — alongside subscription access to the Zentangle Mosaic App and a global Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) certification program delivered in-person and online via US-based seminars and licensed regional partners Created With Love (Asia/Taiwan) and conZentric (Europe). Its commercial model spans direct-to-consumer e-commerce on zentangle.com, wholesale to the 8,600+ certified teachers operating in 80+ countries, corporate and institutional bulk sales for wellness programs, and certified training seminars for individuals seeking to teach the method. The non-profit Zentangle Foundation, granted 501(c)(3) status in 2021, supports CZT scholarships, outreach, and clinical research — including studies with UMass Medical School and oncology nursing pilots — that bolster the method's positioning in mindfulness, art therapy, and educational verticals.

Name

Zentangle

Legal name

Zentangle, Inc.

Website

https://zentangle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zentangle is a privately held Massachusetts company that sells a proprietary structured drawing method, physical art supplies, a Certified Zentangle Teacher program, and a community app to hobbyists, educators, healthcare providers, and a global network of 8,600+ certified teachers in 80+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Supplies and Creative Education

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH)

Keywords

• Art supplies kits
• Mindful drawing method
• Teacher certification program
• Creative pattern drawing
• Art education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitinsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of Zentangle-branded products including kits (beginner to expanded), paper tiles (various types), pens, pencils, books, journals, project packs, apparel, and accessories through zentangle.com store.
2. CZT Certification Seminars: Revenue from training seminars to become Certified Zentangle Teachers. Offered in-person in USA and online, as well as through licensed partners Created With Love (Asia) and conZentric (Europe).
3. Zentangle Mosaic App Subscription: Subscription-based access to the Mosaic app providing full access to tangle step-out library, Kitchen Table Tangles videos, and premium community features.
4. Wholesale to CZTs: CZTs are authorized to purchase Zentangle products at wholesale pricing for personal use and reselling to students, creating a distribution channel revenue stream.
5. Corporate/Institutional Bulk Sales: Bulk pricing offered to organizations including schools, hospitals, and corporations for bringing the Zentangle Method to their institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Zentangle sells branded art supplies (kits, paper tiles, pens, pencils, books, journals) and a structured drawing method called the Zentangle Method. The company also runs a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) training program delivered through seminars and licenses a mobile community app (Mosaic). Revenue is generated primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, wholesale to CZTs, and paid CZT certification seminars held in-person and online in the USA, Asia, and Europe.

Product overview

Zentangle is a creative art methodology company offering a unified ecosystem of products and educational programs centered on the Zentangle Method—an easy-to-learn, relaxing approach to creating art through structured patterns called tangles. The core product portfolio includes instructional books (Zentangle Primer Vol 1, The Book of Zentangle), starter kits (Primer Pack Vol 1, Classic Kit, Expanded Kit, Apprentice Kit), and specialized supplies (Paper Tiles in various formats, pens, pencils). The company also offers subscription-based Project Packs (numbered PP01 through PP30) featuring themed supplies and online video tutorials, and The Legends of Zentangle collection series. The Zentangle Mosaic App serves as the community platform for sharing artwork and accessing the Kitchen Table Tangles video library. Educational offerings include the Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) Training Program available in-person and online across USA, Asia, and Europe, while the non-profit Zentangle Foundation supports scholarships, community outreach, and research. Annual initiatives like the Bijou Be Well Series, International Day of Zentangle, and Journal Project provide ongoing engagement for the global tangling community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zentangle Apprentice: Youth-focused program bringing the Zentangle Method to children as young as 4, with specially designed materials and lessons suitable for children.
• Zentangle Mosaic
• Bijou
• The Legends of Zentangle
• Project Packs

Products and services

• Zentangle Primer Pack Vol 1 Beginner-friendly starter kit containing the Zentangle Primer Vol. 1 book and all materials needed to complete the exercises; priced at $45.00 and targeted at people new to the Zentangle Method.
• Zentangle Kit - Classic Classic starter kit containing essential Zentangle art supplies and materials; priced at $69.00 and intended for new practitioners.
• Zentangle Kit - Expanded Expanded version of the classic Zentangle kit with additional materials and supplies; priced at $114.00.
• Zentangle Apprentice Kit (ZAK) Starter kit designed specifically for younger audiences and beginners to the Zentangle Method; priced at $46.00 and part of the Zentangle Apprentice sub-brand for children.
• Zentangle Project Packs Numbered subscription-style series (PP01 through PP30) pairing curated art supplies with themed online video tutorials and philosophical content; priced $22.95-$39.95 per pack.
• Paper Tiles (Square, Phi, 5xPhive, Zendala, Bijou, Opus, Translucen-Z) High-quality die-cut paper tiles in various colors (white, black, gray, renaissance) and formats (Square, Phi, 5xPhive, Zendala, Bijou, Opus, Translucen-Z) designed for creating Zentangle art; priced $12-$27.
• Zentangle Tools (Pens and Pencils) Specialty art tools including Sakura Pigma Micron pens, Gelly Roll pens, graphite pencils, and charcoal pencils used to create Zentangle art.
• Zentangle Primer - Volume 1 Instructional book written by founders Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas that guides users through the 8 steps of the Zentangle Method; priced $24.95.
• The Book of Zentangle Foundational book documenting the Zentangle Method and art form, providing core instruction in the practice; priced $19.95.
• Zentangle Mosaic App Mobile application that brings together a worldwide community of Zentangle artists for sharing, inspiration, and tile organization, with features including the Global Zentangle Waterfall, hashtag categorization, and Kitchen Table Tangles video access. Available on Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) Training Program Comprehensive seminar program for training individuals to teach the Zentangle Method, available in-person and online in the USA, Asia (through Created With Love in Mandarin), and Europe (through conZentric in German, French, Spanish, and English).

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant reductions in negative affect compared to waitlist control groups at immediate and 2-week postintervention assessments
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• conZentriccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2019Licensed partner providing CZT training seminars in German, French, Spanish, and English for European markets. First seminar held May 2019.
• Created With LovecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2009Licensed partner in Taiwan providing CZT training seminars in Mandarin language for Asian markets. Conducts CZT Asia seminars several times per year.
• Zentangle FoundationcoreOthersMassachusetts non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded to provide CZT scholarships, support community outreach efforts, and fund research on the benefits of the Zentangle Method.
• University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership conducting studies on Zentangle as mindfulness-based art intervention for people with serious mental illness. Study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry with support from the Zentangle Foundation.
• Kripalu Center for Yoga and HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership hosting Zentangle workshops and retreats at the Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Events include multi-day intensive workshops.
• Art of Living Retreat CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Tangling in Wonderland and other Zentangle workshops with Molly and Martha in Boone, North Carolina.
• RejuventangleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting Rejuventangle Retreats featuring Zentangle Method workshops with Molly and Martha, exploring Hollibaugh and Huggins tangles.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Creativebug: Creativebug is a subscription-based online learning platform offering video classes in art, craft, and DIY. It mirrors Zentangle's combination of structured creative methodology, video tutorials (akin to Kitchen Table Tangles), and a paid community experience, but without the physical product line or teacher certification program.
• Skillshare: Skillshare is an online learning community with thousands of classes in creative arts, illustration, and design, monetized via subscription. It is comparable to Zentangle as a destination for learning structured creative skills, though it lacks the branded physical product ecosystem and certified-teacher network.

Emerging players

• Headspace: Headspace is a major mindfulness and meditation app with significant corporate-wellness and healthcare partnerships. Like Calm, it competes with Zentangle for the same wellness-attentive consumer and institutional buyer, but offers digital interventions rather than a tangible craft methodology.
• Calm: Calm is a leading mindfulness and meditation app that competes for the same mental-wellness consumer dollar that Zentangle addresses through its mindful-drawing positioning. While Calm is digital-only and lacks Zentangle's physical craft and teacher-certification ecosystem, the two overlap meaningfully in the wellness audience and corporate-channel use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Crayola: Crayola is a dominant children's art and craft brand with extensive school-channel distribution. Zentangle's Apprentice program and classroom packs target a similar school-age creative-arts market, but Crayola operates at vastly larger scale and broader product range without Zentangle's mindfulness or teacher-certification angle.
• Strathmore Artist Papers: Strathmore is a leading North American art paper brand used by Zentangle for its paper tiles. Both sell into the fine-art and hobbyist markets via similar channels, but Strathmore is a much broader incumbent serving painters, sketchers, and mixed-media artists without a teaching methodology.
• Sakura Color Products: Sakura is the Japanese manufacturer of the Pigma Micron and Gelly Roll pen lines that Zentangle specifically curates and resells. While Sakura is a broad incumbent in writing and art instruments, the Zentangle-specific use of Sakura pens represents a deep category overlap with cult co-branding potential.
• Faber-Castell: Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pencils, pens, and art supplies with broad distribution in schools, offices, and creative markets. Zentangle shares an overlapping product category (premium art supplies) but Faber-Castell operates at far greater scale across a much wider portfolio without Zentangle's proprietary methodology or wellness positioning.
• Tombow: Tombow is a Japanese stationery and art supplies manufacturer whose Mono and Dual Brush Pen lines overlap with the pens and pencils Zentangle sells. Both serve hobbyist and artist markets, but Tombow is a broad incumbent with no proprietary teaching method or community platform.
• Plaid Enterprises: Plaid Enterprises is a major craft and hobby manufacturer (FolkArt, Mod Podge, Bucilla) selling kits and supplies to hobbyists through retail and online channels. Both companies sell curated craft kits into the hobbyist and educational markets, though Plaid is much larger and lacks Zentangle's structured methodology and global teacher network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zentangle
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Zentangle
• Facebookfacebook.com/130389783683089
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zentangle
• Instagraminstagram.com/zentangleinc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/zentangleinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Zentangle