What DarkStar Vapour does

DarkStar Vapour, trading as DarkStar International Limited, is a UK-based retailer and supplier of e-liquid products and DIY vaping ingredients, headquartered in York and operating exclusively through a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront at darkstar.co.uk. The company was founded in 2012 and employs 11–50 people, serving three customer segments: DIY e-liquid enthusiasts who mix their own liquids, entry-level vapers using pre-made products and pod systems, and wholesale/trade buyers purchasing for resale. Its core proprietary offering is the registered Bottle Shot® format — 50ml of pre-mixed flavour concentrate designed to produce 250ml of finished e-liquid without scales or syringes — supplemented by Short Fill, Long Fill, Nic Salt, One Shot and flavour concentrate lines from third-party flavour houses (Flavor West, TFA, Flavorah, Inawera, Liquid Barn, Molinberry, Vape Train Australia, Dark Arts, Chefs Flavours), plus naturally extracted tobacco from Simply Leaf and hardware from Oxva, Vaporesso, Aspire, Uwell, and Asmodus.

The company monetises through per-unit pricing across consumer and wholesale tiers (e.g., nicotine shots from £0.99 retail to £138 wholesale), supported by free UK shipping over £40, next-day domestic delivery, and a 20,000-member Facebook community used as a community-led marketing channel. It holds registered trademarks (Bottle Shot®, DarkStar®, Lickwid®), has won multiple EcigClick 2021 Awards across fruit, beverage, dessert, and tobacco categories, and operates a portfolio of owned sub-brands (DSV, Cosmix, POD FOG, Vape Asylum, Dark Arts, DarkStar Laboratory). The business is privately held and led by Managing Director Rob Scammell, with no disclosed external funding.

Management has publicly noted order volumes running at more than double normal levels in September 2026 due to pre-tax stock-up demand ahead of the UK vape tax implementation on 1 October 2026, indicating the business is operating in a politically and regulatorily sensitive category where future demand trajectories are tied to UK fiscal and public health policy rather than organic market expansion.

Name

DarkStar Vapour

Legal name

DarkStar International Limited

Website

https://darkstar.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DarkStar Vapour (DarkStar International Limited) is a UK-based DTC retailer and wholesaler of e-liquids, DIY vaping ingredients, and hardware, selling its proprietary Bottle Shot® concentrates and a portfolio of owned sub-brands (DSV, Lickwid, POD FOG, DarkStar Laboratory) to UK DIY enthusiasts, entry-level vapers, and trade buyers via its Shopify storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

E-Liquid & Vaping Supplies

akta.pro primary industry

E-Liquid & Nicotine Salt Retail (CRANAEAH)

Keywords

• E-liquid supplies
• Vaping hardware
• DIY e-liquid mixing
• Flavour concentrates
• Nicotine shots

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. E-Liquid Sales: Sale of finished e-liquids including Short Fills, Long Fills, Nic Salts, and Ready-to-Vape products. Revenue generated through per-unit pricing with volume discounts on wholesale quantities.
2. DIY Components: Sale of flavour concentrates, one shots, nic shots, base mixes (VG/PG), and mixing accessories for DIY e-liquid enthusiasts.
3. Hardware & Accessories: Sale of vaping hardware including pod systems, tanks, coils, cotton, bottles, and merchandising items.
4. Wholesale/Bulk: Bulk wholesale pricing available for nicotine shots and other products for business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DarkStar Vapour (trading as DarkStar International Limited) is a UK-based e-commerce retailer and formulator of e-liquids and DIY mixing supplies for the vaping industry. It sells its own brand e-liquids (Bottle Shot, Short Fill, Long Fill, Nic Salt, DarkStar Laboratory, POD FOG, DSV, Lickwid, Cosmix) plus third-party flavour concentrates, nicotine shots, base liquids (VG/PG), vaping hardware, coils, cotton, and accessories to UK consumers and trade buyers.

Product overview

DarkStar Vapour is a UK-based vaping supplies and DIY e-liquid company (DarkStar International Limited) offering a comprehensive portfolio of products for both end consumers and DIY e-liquid makers. The core offering centers on Bottle Shot® products (pre-mixed 50ml concentrate shots that make 250ml finished e-liquid), Short Fill E-Liquids (60ml/120ml bottles with 50ml concentrate), and Long Fill products (part-filled bottles for custom mixing). Supporting products include Nic Salt E-Liquids (10ml ready-to-vape), Nicotine Shots (18mg/20mg pharmaceutical grade), Flavour Concentrates (from Flavor Apprentice, Flavor West, Dark Arts, Inawera and others), One Shot Concentrates (30ml complete recipe shots), Naturally Extracted Tobacco products (via Simply Leaf), and VG/PG/Base Mix ingredients. The hardware range includes products from Asmodus, Aspire, Oxva, Uwell, and Vaporesso, plus replacement coils (Vaporesso GTX/GTi, Coils by Scott) and accessories (bottles, syringes, cotton, Vape Mat). Owned sub-brands include POD FOG (pod-compatible e-liquids) and DarkStar Laboratory (pre-steeped vape-ready products). The company also sells merchandise and sample sizes for trying flavours before full purchase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• POD FOG: Nicotine salt e-liquid and vaping products formulated for pod devices, offering maximum flavour intensity
• DSV
• Lickwid
• Cosmix
• Vape Asylum
• Dark Arts
• DarkStar Laboratory
• Bottle Shot

Products and services

• Bottle Shot® Pre-mixed flavour concentrate shot containing 50ml of concentrate in a bottle designed to be topped up with VG, PG, and nicotine to make 250ml of finished e-liquid. The signature DIY product simplifying e-liquid mixing without scales or syringes.
• Short Fill E-Liquid Ready-to-vape e-liquids in 60ml or 120ml bottles containing 50ml of flavour concentrate and base mix, designed to be mixed with nicotine shots for custom nicotine strength.
• Long Fill Part-filled e-liquid bottles allowing users to add their own nicotine shots and VG/PG base, available in 60ml and 120ml sizes with varying concentrate percentages (20-30%) for different device types.
• Nic Salt E-Liquid 10ml ready-to-vape nicotine salt e-liquids in 10mg or 20mg strengths, formulated for smooth vaping with enhanced flavour in pod devices.
• Nicotine Shots 10ml pharmaceutical-grade nicotine shots in 18mg and 20mg Nicotine Salt variants used to add nicotine to Short Fill and Long Fill products.
• One Shot Concentrates Concentrated 30ml flavour shots containing complete e-liquid recipes to be mixed at 15-25% concentration with base ingredients, each creating unique complex flavour profiles.
• Flavour Concentrates Individual flavour concentrates sourced from flavour houses including The Flavour Apprentice, Flavor West, Dark Arts, Inawera, Flavorah, Liquid Barn, Molinberry, and Vape Train Australia for DIY e-liquid mixing.
• Base Mix / PG & VG EP Grade Vegetable Glycerine (VG) and USP Grade Propylene Glycol (PG), plus pre-blended Base Mix in 70/30 ratios for DIY e-liquid creation.
• Mixing Accessories Equipment for DIY mixing including 10ml and 1ml measuring syringes, 30ml and 60ml dropper caps, bottles, Vape Mat Bundle, and Koolada cooling shots.
• Naturally Extracted Tobacco (NET) Premium tobacco e-liquids using naturally extracted tobacco concentrates from Simply Leaf, including various regional varieties and hybrid blends.
• Vaping Hardware Vaping hardware including Asmodus, Aspire, Oxva, Uwell, and Vaporesso brands; pod kits, tanks, and compatible coils.
• Coils Replacement coils for various tanks including Vaporesso GTX and GTi coils, plus specialty coils by Coils by Scott.
• Cotton Organic Japanese cotton and other vape wicking materials including Vapefly Firebolt Cotton for rebuildable atomizers.
• Bottles Empty vape bottles in 60ml, 120ml, and 250ml sizes with dropper caps, including Chubby Gorilla Unicorn bottles.
• Samples 0mg ready-to-vape e-liquid samples in 10ml bottles, allowing customers to try flavours before purchasing full sizes.
• Packs & Bundles Curated bundles including Starter Packs, Mystery Boxes, Hardware Bundles, Bottle Shot Bundles, and Gift Cards.
• POD FOG DarkStar's own brand of pod-compatible e-liquids formulated for maximum flavour intensity in pod devices, available as Nic Salt E-Liquid (10ml) and Long Fill formats.
• DarkStar Laboratory DarkStar's in-house brand featuring pre-steeped Bottle Shot products that are vape-ready without additional steeping time, plus approved flavours from partner manufacturers.
• DSV (DarkStar Vapour) DarkStar's house brand product line including DSV Bottle Shot, DSV Short Fill, and DSV Long Fill products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning flavours recognised by EcigClick 2021 Awards across Best Fruit, Best Beverage, Best Dessert, and Best Tobacco categories.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Flavor WestcoreTechnology or IntegrationFlavor West is a flavour concentrate supplier whose products are sold through DarkStar's e-commerce platform. DarkStar stocks a wide range of Flavor West concentrates including menthol, extreme ice, jungle juice, strawberry kiwi, grape soda, blueberry, and more.
• The Flavour Apprentice (TFA)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Flavour Apprentice is a major flavour concentrate manufacturer whose products are distributed through DarkStar. Range includes strawberry (ripe), vanilla custard, blackcurrant, Bavarian cream, raspberry, watermelon, RY4 double, vanilla bean ice cream, cheesecake, sweetener, mango, sweet cream, dragonfruit, and berry mix.
• FlavorahcoreTechnology or IntegrationFlavorah is a flavour concentrate supplier whose products are available through DarkStar's DIY section and flavour concentrates category.
• InaweracoreTechnology or IntegrationInawera is a flavour concentrate supplier whose products are available through DarkStar's DIY section and flavour concentrates category.
• Liquid BarncoreTechnology or IntegrationLiquid Barn is a flavour concentrate supplier whose products are available through DarkStar's Flavours & One Shots section.
• MolinberrycoreTechnology or IntegrationMolinberry is a flavour concentrate supplier whose products are available through DarkStar's Flavours & One Shots section.
• Vape Train AustraliacoreTechnology or IntegrationVape Train Australia is an international flavour concentrate supplier whose products are available through DarkStar's Flavours & One Shots section.
• Simply LeafcoreTechnology or IntegrationSimply Leaf supplies Naturally Extracted Tobacco (NET) products including concentrates, hybrid NETs, and short/long fills. Their products are exclusively distributed through DarkStar in the UK market, offering premium tobacco e-liquid options.
• Vape AsylumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVape Asylum is a brand whose products (Electroshock, Mango Loco, Delirium) are sold through DarkStar. Their Electroshock flavour won Gold Award at EcigClick 2021 Awards. DarkStar stocks their Bottle Shot, One Shot, and Short Fill products.
• Chefs FlavourscoreTechnology or IntegrationChefs Flavours supplies one shot flavour concentrates that DarkStar stocks and sells through their platform. Products include Vanilla Custard Doughnuts, Moon Sugar, and other dessert flavours.
• CosmixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCosmix is a sub-brand whose products are sold through DarkStar. DarkStar stocks Cosmix Bottle Shot, One Shots, and Short Fill products including Neu-Tropical Twist and various samples.
• Dark ArtscoreTechnology or IntegrationDark Arts is a flavour concentrate supplier whose products are available through DarkStar's DIY and Flavours sections. Products include menthol, cherry, blackcurrant, and aniseed concentrates.
• OxvacoreTechnology or IntegrationOxva is a hardware manufacturer whose products are sold through DarkStar. Products include the POD FOG kit, Xlim Pro V2 pod vape kit bundled with POD FOG Salt E-liquid.
• VaporessocoreTechnology or IntegrationVaporesso is a hardware manufacturer whose products are sold through DarkStar. Products include GTX Coils, GTi Coils, and Xros Pro Pod Kit bundled with POD FOG Salt E-liquid.
• AspirecoreTechnology or IntegrationAspire is a hardware manufacturer whose products are sold through DarkStar's Hardware section.
• UwellcoreTechnology or IntegrationUwell is a hardware manufacturer whose products are sold through DarkStar's Hardware section.
• AsmoduscoreTechnology or IntegrationAsmodus is a hardware manufacturer whose products are sold through DarkStar's Hardware section.
• Juice Cabin ClassicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJuice Cabin Classics is a brand whose One Shots are sold through DarkStar's One Shots section.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LiQuid: UK-based e-liquid manufacturer producing concentrate ranges and finished e-liquids for retail and DIY markets. Closely comparable to DarkStar's own-brand and DIY concentrate business.
• Totally Wicked: UK-headquartered vape retailer with significant own-brand e-liquid manufacturing and broad hardware/DIY catalogue. Comparable to DarkStar in scale, product mix, and UK focus, though at a larger footprint.
• Vampire Vape: UK-based e-liquid brand and retailer with multi-flavour portfolio including Heisenberg and other award-winning lines. Comparable to DarkStar as a UK-focused e-liquid brand combining own-brand manufacturing with direct retail.
• Vape Club: One of the largest UK vape retailers offering e-liquids, DIY supplies, hardware, and own-brand products online. Closely comparable to DarkStar as a UK DTC e-liquid and ingredients retailer with extensive flavour range.
• T-Juice: UK e-liquid manufacturer and distributor operating own-brand and white-label production with retail channels. Comparable to DarkStar as a UK-based e-liquid formulator and ingredient supplier.
• Vape Superstore: UK-based direct-to-consumer vape retailer selling e-liquids, DIY ingredients, hardware, and accessories. Operates an online-only model with broad multi-brand catalogue, closely comparable to DarkStar's product mix and GTM.
• Pure E-Liquid: UK vape retailer and concentrate supplier selling DIY ingredients, hardware, and finished e-liquids online. Comparable to DarkStar as a UK-centric vaping supplies retailer serving both enthusiasts and casual vapers.
• Apollo Vape Stores: UK vape retailer combining online and physical stores with broad multi-brand e-liquid, hardware, and DIY offering. Comparable to DarkStar as a UK vape retailer across consumers and trade customers.
• Ecigarette Direct: Established UK vape retailer with e-commerce storefront, multi-brand e-liquids, hardware, and DIY ingredients portfolio. Comparable in channel, geography, and product breadth to DarkStar Vapour.

Emerging players

• Element E-Liquid: US-headquartered premium e-liquid brand with growing UK and international distribution. Comparable to DarkStar as an award-winning e-liquid brand with strong concentrate offerings, though operating primarily in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/darkstarvapour
• Instagraminstagram.com/darkstarvapour/?hl=en
• Xx.com/darkstarvapour
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blue-label-vapour-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 DarkStar Vapour