Kuro Sumi

What Kuro Sumi does

Kuro Sumi is a premium vegan tattoo ink manufacturer originally formulated in Japan and now headquartered at 120 Northpoint Ct, Blythewood, South Carolina. The company produces and sells individual tattoo inks and curated ink sets through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at kurosumi.com, supplemented by a formal international distributor network spanning Asia, North America, South America, and Europe. Its product line comprises over 59 ultra-concentrated colors organized by color family (blacks, blues, browns, greens, greys, oranges, peaches, pinks, purples, reds, whites, yellows), alongside specialty sets including 16-Color Primary Kits, Liner and Shader Sets, and artist-specific collaborations such as the Zhang Po Greywash Shading Set, Chen Jie Chinese Watercolor Set, and Kensho's Yūkyū Ink Set.

The company's core technology is a proprietary vegan-friendly ink formulation claimed to deliver the highest pigment content and darkest black in the industry, designed to produce bold, long-lasting tattoo results suitable for traditional Japanese, Chinese watercolor, fine line, and tribal styles. Pricing is structured by bottle size (0.75 oz at $7.62–$10.88; 1.5 oz and 3.0 oz typically $25.60–$32.00) and by set ($19–$260), with free domestic shipping above $200 and a 10% first-purchase newsletter incentive.

Revenue mechanics are transactional: one-time product purchases via DTC and distributor wholesale, with repeat demand driven by professional artist consumption. Go-to-market is product-led growth, layered with a global Pro Team sponsorship program (40+ artists across four continents), convention appearances, and content marketing. Kuro Sumi operates as a private company with 11–50 employees, holds the registered Kuro Sumi Ink® trademark, and is identified as one of five top players in the global tattoo ink market.

Name

Kuro Sumi

Legal name

Kuro Sumi Ink

Website

https://kurosumi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tattoo Inks

NAICS

Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Permanent Makeup Pigments & Supplies (Microblading/PMU Pigments, Aftercare Color Products) (CRABACAI)

Keywords

• Vegan tattoo inks
• Tattoo pigments
• Tattoo ink sets
• Professional tattoo supplies
• Greywash tattoo ink

Headquarters

HQ city

Blythewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tattoo Ink Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer and distributor sales of individual tattoo ink bottles and curated ink sets. Revenue is generated through one-time product transactions, with repeat purchases driven by artist consumption patterns and replenishment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kuro Sumi manufactures and sells premium vegan tattoo inks and curated ink sets for professional tattoo artists. The portfolio spans over 59 ultra-concentrated colors organized by color family, individual greywash and outlining inks, and specialized sets including the Master Set, 16 Color Primary Kits, and artist collaboration sets (e.g., Zhang Po Greywash, Chen Jie Watercolor). Products are sold direct-to-consumer via kurosumi.com and through an international distributor network spanning Asia, North America, South America, and Europe.

Product overview

Kuro Sumi is a premium vegan tattoo ink manufacturer originally formulated in Japan, now headquartered in Blythewood, SC. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of tattoo inks comprising over 59 ultra-concentrated colors available as individual inks organized by color family (blacks, blues, browns, greens, greys, oranges, peaches, pinks, purples, reds, whites, yellows) and curated ink sets. The product line includes the flagship Master Set, specialized shading sets (Zhang Po Greywash, Bronze, Cherry), 16 Color Primary Kits in four variants, liner and shader combinations, and artist collaboration sets like Kensho's Yūkyū and Chen Jie's Watercolor Set. All inks are formulated with vegan-friendly ingredients inspired by ancient art traditions, emphasizing bold crisp colors that give tattoos life and dimension.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Set A comprehensive ink set offering Kuro Sumi's core tattoo ink colors, designed to provide artists with a versatile palette for various tattoo styles and techniques; priced $69.00–$114.00.
• Kensho's Yūkyū Ink Set A specialized ink set created in collaboration with Pro Team artist Kensho, featuring a curated selection of colors for shading and detail work; priced $114.00.
• Marble Stone Tone Tattoo Ink Set An ink set featuring marble stone-inspired neutral tones, designed for creating realistic stone and texture effects in tattoos; on sale at $83.30 from $98.00.
• Great Wall Tattoo Ink Set An ink set inspired by traditional Chinese aesthetics, offering colors suitable for bold traditional tattoo designs.
• 16 Color Set Primary Kit (Variants 1–4) A comprehensive 16-color kit providing a primary palette of ultra-concentrated colors for professional tattoo artists. Four kit variants (Kit 1, 2, 3, 4) offer different color groupings; priced $157.00–$260.00 depending on bottle size selection.
• Liner and Shader Set A two-component set including outlining ink for bold lines and shader ink for filling and gradient effects, available in 6oz volume; priced $56.00.
• Zhang Po Greywash Shading Set A professional shading set developed with world-renowned artist Zhang Po, featuring six greywash bottles (Angel, Devil, Saint, Sinner) for smooth gradient shading work; priced $45.00–$77.00.
• Bronze Shading Set A set of three bronze-toned shading inks that create a sepia effect reminiscent of vintage photographs; priced $19.20–$24.00.
• Cherry Shading Set A shading set featuring cherry-inspired warm pink and red tones for subtle color gradients.
• Outlining Ink A high-pigment black ink specifically formulated for bold, crisp outline work in tattooing; priced $7.00–$35.00 by size.
• Greywash Premium greywash ink marketed as the world's best tattoo grey wash with the highest pigment content and the blackest pigment in the industry; priced $7.00–$35.00 by size.
• Soft Greywash A softer greywash variant providing smooth gradients and subtle shading transitions.
• Double Sumi Tribal Black An ultra-dark black ink designed for tribal tattoo styles, delivering bold, solid coverage.
• Samurai White A bright white ink for highlights and fine details, formulated with vegan-friendly ingredients.
• Dragon's Breath Red A vibrant red ink inspired by traditional Japanese art, suitable for bold tattoo designs.
• Chen Jie Chinese Watercolor Set A specialized set designed by Pro Team artist Chen Jie featuring eight traditionally-colored inks for watercolor tattoo styles.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of five top manufacturers in the global tattoo ink market (USD 107M+ industry, growing at 7.0% CAGR to USD 170M by 2032)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pro Team Artists (Global)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerKuro Sumi sponsors a global Pro Team of tattoo artists across Asia (Chen Jie, Kubrick Ho, Louis Tham, Mori Tattoo, and others), North America (Adam Lakimii, Andy Jung, Ever Rivero, Michael DiGiorgio, and others), South America (Gringoink, El Nino, Gooty Balam, and others), and Europe (Alessio Ventimiglia, Deborah Genchi, Fabio Nembo, and others). These artists serve as brand ambassadors, create artist-specific ink sets, and represent Kuro Sumi at conventions worldwide.
• Zhang Po (Pro Team Artist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned shading artist Zhang Po collaborated directly with Kuro Sumi to develop a signature shading ink set. The Zhang Po shading set includes specialized greywash products (Angel, Devil, Saint, Sinner) designed to meet Zhang Po's specific requirements for impeccable shading work.
• Chen Jie (Pro Team Artist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Team artist Chen Jie collaborated with Kuro Sumi to create the Chen Jie Chinese Watercolor Set, a specialty ink set designed for watercolor tattoo artistry using traditionally colored inks. Chen Jie is featured as an artist highlight on the Kuro Sumi homepage.
• Kensho (Pro Team Artist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Team artist Kensho collaborated with Kuro Sumi to create Kensho's Yukyu Ink Set, a specialty ink set available through the product catalog.
• Official International DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKuro Sumi operates a global network of official distributors for international order fulfillment. The distributor program includes compliance documentation, distributor assets, and an application process managed through bodyartalliance.com. Distributors are listed by region on the official store locator.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Intenze Tattoo Ink: One of the leading premium tattoo ink manufacturers globally, offering vegan-friendly, high-pigment tattoo inks and signature artist collaborations; directly competes with Kuro Sumi for the same professional tattoo artist customer base.
• Eternal Ink: Established premium tattoo ink brand with a broad color palette and strong reputation among professional artists; competes head-to-head with Kuro Sumi in the same ultra-concentrated, artist-driven category.
• Dynamic Color: Professional tattoo ink manufacturer with vegan and high-pigment product lines widely used by artists; directly comparable to Kuro Sumi in formulation philosophy, distribution, and target customer.
• World Famous Tattoo Ink: Premium tattoo ink brand with an extensive color palette and global artist sponsorship network; competes with Kuro Sumi across both pigment performance and Pro Team-style brand-building strategy.
• StarBrite Tattoo Ink: Veteran tattoo ink manufacturer producing pigment-heavy, vibrant inks aimed at professional tattoo artists; comparable product offering, customer base, and pricing tier to Kuro Sumi.
• Millennium Mom's Tattoo Ink: Long-established tattoo ink brand offering large-format color and black/grey sets used by working tattoo artists; competes in similar volume and price tiers with comparable professional positioning.

Emerging players

• Bishop Rotary: Tattoo equipment and supply brand closely associated with the professional tattoo community; adjacent peer serving the same artist customers with complementary (non-ink) supplies, often carried alongside Kuro Sumi.
• Dermalize Protective: Tattoo aftercare and accessory brand frequently co-marketed with premium ink lines; adjacent peer serving the same professional tattoo workflow and end-consumer relationship post-tattoo.

Broad incumbents

• Sailor (Sailor Pen / Sailor Ink Studio): Heritage Japanese manufacturer renowned for premium fountain pen and specialty inks; relevant as a Japan-rooted, premium specialty ink producer whose craftsmanship heritage parallels Kuro Sumi's Japanese brand positioning.

Others

• Painful Pleasures / Barber DTS: Major tattoo and piercing supply distributor carrying multiple premium ink brands; relevant channel partner / distribution peer that competes for international artist-facing shelf space alongside Kuro Sumi.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KuroSumiInk
• Facebookfacebook.com/KuroSumiTattooInk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kuro Sumi