Global Tattoo Guide

What Global Tattoo Guide does

Global Tattoo Guide (GTG) is a free, interactive web-based map and directory of tattoo artists and studios operating across 78 countries and 1,293 cities, with 3,206 listed entities of which 743 have been personally ranked and reviewed. The platform is headquartered in Kalispell, Montana, where co-founders Jake and Kelly Bertelsen — both professional tattoo artists operating EXEX Art — run GTG as a branch of EXEX Global alongside a year-round global scouting and vetting team. The core product is the Interactive Map combined with the Artist & Shop Directory, filterable by location, tattoo style (40+ styles), and a four-tier ranking system (Star, Nominee, Watchlist, Applicant) where Star shops are visited in person by the GTG team and no ranking can be purchased. Supporting modules include an embeddable Trust Badge system for ranked artists, an Artist Application Form, and a public JSON feed API refreshed every 15 minutes for third-party aggregator integration; the platform is built on Django, Mapbox GL, and WordPress and supports ten languages.

GTG serves two primary segments: tattoo collectors and enthusiasts who use the map to find vetted artists by location and style at no signup cost, and tattoo artists and shops (SMBs) who list themselves to gain expert-vetted visibility and tier-based recognition. The go-to-market motion is community-led (peer nominations, scout discoveries, and artist self-submissions) layered onto direct-to-consumer map browsing and SEO-driven discovery through country and style landing pages. GTG does not charge listing or ranking fees; revenue is supported by a roster of named sponsors (SWAE Marketing, SWAE Industries, Gearshift Garage, Neriah Dynamite, Blue Squid Design, Sapphire Forge) and adjacent tattoo-industry ventures, including marketing services for tattoo businesses. No external institutional investment or venture capital funding has been disclosed, and revenue figures are not publicly reported.

Name

Global Tattoo Guide

Legal name

Global Tattoo Guide

Website

https://tattoo.guide

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Tattoo Guide is a free, expert-vetted interactive map and directory of 3,206 tattoo artists and studios across 78 countries, built by professional tattoo artists Jake and Kelly Bertelsen as a branch of EXEX Global in Kalispell, Montana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalispell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Artist/shop directory listing (free tier): Artists and shops can list on the directory at no cost. Listings and rankings cannot be purchased or paid for in any tier. Rankings are earned through review alone.
2. Sponsorship and marketing services for tattoo businesses: Global Tattoo Guide is supported by sponsors including SWAE Marketing, Gearshift Garage, Neriah Dynamite, SWAE Industries, Blue Squid Design, and Sapphire Forge. Adjacent tattoo-industry ventures such as marketing services for tattoo businesses contribute to revenue.
3. Platform traffic and map engagement: The directory and map are free for consumers. The platform is supported by its own traffic and by adjacent tattoo-industry ventures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Global Tattoo Guide is a free, interactive global map and online directory of expert-vetted tattoo artists and studios, currently covering 3,206 artists and studios across 78 countries and 1,293 cities in 10 languages. Listings are graded on a four-tier trust system (Standard, Verified, Premier, Founding) earned through in-person shop visits by professional tattoo artists rather than paid placement. The platform also publishes structured JSON data feeds that allow third-party sites to embed its vetted directory content.

Product overview

Global Tattoo Guide is a single unified platform offering a free interactive map and directory of tattoo artists and studios worldwide. The core product is the Interactive Map combined with the Artist & Shop Directory, which together allow users to search, browse, and filter vetted tattoo artists by location, style, and GTG ranking tier. Supporting modules include the Trust Badge Embed system (allowing ranked artists to display GTG badges on external websites), the Artist Application Form (for submitting new artists for review), and the Global Directory JSON Feed (a public API providing machine-readable access to the directory data for aggregators and apps). The platform is built by working tattoo artists Jake and Kelly Bertelsen and is part of the EXEX Global family of companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Tattoo Map & Directory Free, interactive online map and directory of expert-vetted tattoo artists and studios, listing 3,206 entries across 78 countries and 1,293 cities in 10 languages. Built for consumers searching for trustworthy tattoo artists, with listings ranked on a four-tier trust system (Standard, Verified, Premier, Founding) earned through in-person visits by professional tattoo artists.
• Global Tattoo Guide JSON Data Feed Structured JSON data feed exposing Global Tattoo Guide's vetted artist and studio listings, including tier classification (Standard, Verified, Premier, Founding), for integration into third-party partner websites and platforms. Designed for developers and partners who want to surface curated tattoo-discovery content on their own properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,206 artists & studios mapped across 78 countries and 1,293 cities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SWAE MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSWAE Marketing is a sponsor of the Global Tattoo Guide. Sponsors help support the global scouting and vetting team. SWAE Marketing is a marketing services provider operating in the tattoo industry.
• Gearshift GarageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGearshift Garage is listed as a sponsor of the Global Tattoo Guide, helping fund the platform's global scouting and vetting operations.
• Neriah DynamiteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNeriah Dynamite is a YouTube creator and sponsor of the Global Tattoo Guide, contributing to the platform's visibility in the tattoo community.
• SWAE IndustriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSWAE Industries is listed as a sponsor of the Global Tattoo Guide, supporting the platform's operations.
• Blue Squid DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlue Squid Design is a sponsor of the Global Tattoo Guide, contributing marketing support and resources.
• Sapphire ForgeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSapphire Forge is a sponsor of the Global Tattoo Guide, helping support the platform's global team.
• EXEX Tattoo / EXEX GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Tattoo Guide is a branch of EXEX Global, the parent company founded by Jake and Kelly Bertelsen. EXEX means 'Exalt the Extraordinary.' The EXEX family includes EXEX Tattoo (exex.art), EXEX Clothing, EXEX TV, and the Tattoo Academy. GTG is part of a broader mission to elevate tattooing as an art form.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Houzz: Houzz is a pro-finder directory for home design with curated pro profiles and tiered visibility. Its model of combining free consumer discovery with pro upgrade tiers is a useful precedent for how GTG could evolve monetization.
• The Knot: The Knot runs a vetted vendor marketplace for weddings with curated vendor categories. It is a structural analogue — a vertical directory monetized via vendor visibility — that illustrates how a curated marketplace model can scale beyond a free directory.
• Google Business Profile: Google Maps and Google Business Profile are the default free local-discovery channels for tattoo shops. They compete with GTG for the 'near me' tattoo search and are the most likely substitute if consumers do not switch to a curated directory.
• Yelp: Yelp is the broad local-services review platform that already indexes many tattoo shops. GTG explicitly contrasts itself with Yelp-style star ratings, making Yelp the most-cited incumbent substitute for tattoo discovery.

Emerging players

• Booksy: Booksy is a booking and discovery platform for beauty and wellness pros, with growing penetration in tattoo. Comparable as a place where consumers search local artists, though GTG's non-pay-to-play curation is the key differentiation.
• StyleSeat: StyleSeat is a booking marketplace for beauty and wellness professionals including tattoo studios, with profiles and reviews. It overlaps with GTG in serving tattoo shops as SMB customers but focuses on booking rather than curated ranking.
• Vagaro: Vagaro provides booking, marketing, and directory software for salons, barbers, and tattoo studios. Comparable as a SaaS/marketplace that helps tattoo shops acquire clients, though its emphasis is on software rather than consumer discovery.

Direct peers

• RealSelf: RealSelf is a vetted directory of cosmetic and aesthetic procedure providers with trust signals similar in spirit to GTG's expert-vetted tiers. Its business model (provider visibility + lead-gen) is a relevant analogue for how a trust-led vertical directory can monetize.
• Tattoodo: Tattoodo is a tattoo community and artist-discovery app with a global map, artist profiles, and booking integrations. It is the closest direct competitor to GTG's map-and-directory model, though it emphasizes community content and booking rather than expert-vetted tiers.
• Inked Magazine / Inked App: Inked is a tattoo-focused media brand with an associated app for discovering artists and shops. Comparable to GTG in audience (collectors and artists) and editorial-driven discovery, though without GTG's non-pay-to-play vetting framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Global%20Tattoo%20Guide%20%E2%80%94%20the%20expert-vetted%20tattoo%20artist%20and%20shop%20directory&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftattoo.guide%2F
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61582625634231
• Instagraminstagram.com/globaltattooguide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Global Tattoo Guide