What Paint Nite does

Paint Nite, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, operates a paint-and-sip event marketplace that connects consumers, certified local artists, and independent venue partners across more than fifteen cities in the United States and Canada. The company invented the paint-and-sip category in 2012 and markets itself as "The Original Paint Nite"; it has cumulatively sold more than 10 million tickets and has absorbed the Yaymaker brand into a single identity. The platform delivers in-person events held at bars and restaurants (rather than dedicated studios), live virtual classes, an on-demand content library of more than 36,000 painting projects with kit fulfillment, and dedicated private, corporate, DIY, and fundraiser event flows. Registered trademarks include PAINT NITE, PLANT NITE, and PaintNite, held via Paint Nite LLC, Your Nite LLC, and Paint Nite Canada Company.

Underlying technology is a web-based event marketplace with online ticketing, real-time availability, virtual event streaming, on-demand video delivery, iOS/Android mobile apps, and city-specific SEO landing pages; marketing relies on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest), email, and SEO-driven local discovery. Revenue is generated through multiple streams: $45 per-event public tickets at bar/restaurant venues (USD and CAD), multi-event Pass bundles (1/2/4/10 at 30–45% discounts, six-month validity), private and corporate event bookings (15-guest minimum, $200 non-refundable deposit, custom-design and rescheduling fees), on-demand subscriptions with kit delivery, gift passes, and standalone supply retail. The company serves five named customer segments — social/consumer groups, corporate/enterprise team-building, fundraisers/nonprofits, families, and virtual/remote participants — and supports two supply-side ecosystems: certified independent artists earning $150–300+ per event and venue partners that capture ancillary food and beverage spend.

The most recent institutional-grade funding on record is a February 2015 Series A from Highland Capital Partners and Oxygen Capital Partners totaling $13 million; the only disclosed subsequent raise is a $99,541 Reg CF equity crowdfunding round in July 2023 via Documents Republic (OpenDeal Portal LLC) with 191 investors. The company is privately held, employs 101–250 people, and is led by CEO David Krauter, with co-founder Daniel Hermann. Direct revenue figures are not disclosed and the most recent operational data point is the 93% instructor approval rating across all events.

Name

Paint Nite

Legal name

Paint Nite LLC

Website

https://paintnite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Paint Nite, founded in 2012, operates a North American paint-and-sip event marketplace connecting consumers with certified local artists and bar/restaurant venue partners. It delivers in-person events, live virtual classes, a 36,000-project on-demand library, and private/corporate bookings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Entertainment Events

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Paint and sip events
• Creative entertainment
• Social art experiences
• Event ticketing platform
• Team building events

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Event Tickets: Individual tickets for in-person paint-and-sip events at local bars and restaurants. Tickets are priced per event (typically $45 USD in the US, C$45 in Canada) and include canvas, paints, brushes, apron, and step-by-step instruction. Drinks and food are ordered separately from the venue.
2. Paint Nite Passes: Multi-event passes allowing customers to purchase tickets in bulk at discounted rates. Passes are redeemable for one seat at any standard event and are valid for six months. Summer sale offers 1 pass at 30% off, 2 passes at 35% off, 4 passes at 40% off, and 10 passes at 45% off.
3. Private Event Booking: Corporate team-building events and private parties (birthdays, bachelorettes, etc.) booked through coordinators. Requires minimum 15 guests, with per-person pricing varying by event type. Includes $200 non-refundable deposit at booking.
4. On-Demand Content: Self-paced painting tutorials accessible anytime through the platform. Includes canvas, paints, brushes, and access to video instruction available on demand.
5. Gift Cards/Passes: Gift passes with $45 value (US/Canada) that can be redeemed for any event. Gift tickets are non-refundable and have no cash value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Paint Nite operates a two-sided marketplace that connects consumers with local certified artists and partner venues (bars and restaurants) for in-person paint-and-sip social events. The company also delivers live virtual paint-and-sip events, an on-demand streaming library of painting tutorials, DIY paint party kits, and dedicated corporate and private group event services with coordinator-led booking.

Product overview

Paint Nite is a platform for organizing creative events, centered around its core paint-and-sip experience. The product portfolio includes three main delivery formats: in-person events at bars and restaurants (Paint Nite), live virtual classes (Virtual Events), and self-paced tutorials (On-Demand). The company also offers private and corporate event services for group bookings, DIY party packages for home hosting, and fundraiser events for charities and schools. Additional offerings include Paint Nite Passes (multi-event tickets) and painting supplies. The format was invented in 2012 and Paint Nite merged with Yaymaker under the Paint Nite brand. The company operates across the US and Canada with a network of independent local artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Paint Nite Events In-person guided painting sessions held at partner bars and restaurants in 15+ U.S. and Canadian cities, where a local certified artist leads guests through recreating a painting while they socialize and drink. Targeted at adult consumers looking for social, creative nightlife activities, priced at $45 per ticket.
• Virtual Paint Nite Events

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of guests rate their instructor as amazing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Painting with a Twist: One of the largest direct competitors in the paint-and-sip category, operating franchise locations across the US with a similar guided-painting-at-a-bar format, ticket-based pricing, and private event offerings.
• Pinot's Palette: National paint-and-sip franchise with comparable step-by-step painting classes, BYOB/bar partnerships, and private party bookings — directly competing for the same social/entertainment customer.
• Muse Paintbar: Paint-and-sip operator running dedicated studio locations with similar ticket pricing, instructor-led classes, food/beverage service, and private/corporate event offerings.
• Bottle & Bottega: Paint-and-sip studio chain offering guided painting sessions paired with wine, with comparable corporate event, private party, and franchise expansion models.
• AR Workshop: Workshop-based DIY studio offering hands-on classes (including wood signs and home décor) at bar/venue settings, overlapping with Paint Nite on group social experiences and private bookings.
• Painting to Gogh: Paint-and-sip studio with in-person classes and online virtual events, directly comparable to Paint Nite's multi-format offering and per-ticket pricing.

Emerging players

• Sip and Stroke: Smaller regional paint-and-sip operator with similar format (guided painting + drinks), competing in overlapping markets and serving similar girls'-night-out and birthday party use cases.
• ClassBento: Online marketplace aggregating in-person creative workshops (painting, pottery, crafts) — adjacent marketplace model that could compete for paint-and-sip event discovery and bookings.

Broad incumbents

• Color Me Mine: Established paint-your-own-pottery franchise with broader craft/art focus; relevant comparable for the hobby/creative-night-out customer Paint Nite targets, though with a different medium.
• Eventbrite: Large-scale event discovery and ticketing platform where many independent paint-and-sip operators list events; represents both a potential distribution channel and a competitive surface for paint-event bookings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Paint_Nite
• Facebookfacebook.com/timeline
• Instagraminstagram.com/theoriginalpaintnite
• Pinterestpinterest.com/paintnitedotcom
• TikToktiktok.com/@theoriginalpaintnite
• Xx.com/paintnite
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paint-nite

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

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 Paint Nite