Tattd is a social marketplace that empowers tattoo seekers to find artists perfectly aligned with their creative desires. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, it caused quite a stir. So of course this creative little startup turned its booth into a mini tattoo parlor. Enthusiastic attendees could even win their own during the three-day event in San Francisco. Over 30 people jumped at the opportunity to receive tattoos. Along the way, they discovered the cutting-edge Expo Hall packed with farmers’ market robots, drone delivery platforms, and spacecraft insurance startups.
Laura Schaack, the creator behind Tattd, boasts a rich and cool history. She has operationally scaled two venture-backed startups. WearAway, a fashion rental platform acquired by Grin, and Lemonsqueeze, a market expansion platform acquired by Knotel. Schaack has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania. Her time as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos deepened and focused her artistic vision, which has been extremely impactful on her vision for Tattd.
At TechCrunch Disrupt, Tattd released a special exclusive flash sheet made specifically for the event. Attendees were quick to browse between tremendously diverse tattoo designs to select from. This intentional method provided a unique opportunity for participants to connect directly with the tattoo community, all while discovering new technologies and innovations.
Many of our incredible guests decided to get inked at the Expo. For senior producer Maggie Nye, the best way to honor her time here was with a tattoo of a very familiar classic pixelated cursor arrow. Another conference attendee, Karyne, joined the tattoo club at the booth as well. Word on the street has it that Maggie and Becca went for geek-inspired tattoos too, presumably with Theresa.
Schaack underscored the need to grapple with the complexities of tattoo artistry. She lamented how ineffective AI-fueled design tools have been at truly penetrating the complexity of people’s preferences.
“If you go to ChatGPT and say something like, ‘I want to see a butterfly in a Japanese traditional style with heavier lines,’ they don’t know what that means.” – Laura Schaack
Her insights reflect a broader commitment to supporting tattoo artists and ensuring their businesses thrive in an industry where many have struggled without proper industry knowledge.
“There is a number of people that have tried to enter the tattoo industry without tattoos, and they have all failed,” she added.
Schaack’s sentiments were echoed by Karyne Levy, another principal at Tattd, when discussing the passion found in the tattoo industry.
“I’m so deeply passionate about this industry, I’m heavily tattooed, and I’m here to support artists to build businesses in a way that both the client and the artist are taken care of.” – Karyne Levy
The booth’s transformation into an interactive tattoo shop at TechCrunch Disrupt not only highlighted Tattd’s innovative approach but provided a platform for attendees to connect with tattoo artists in a meaningful way. As the event wrapped up, it became clear that Tattd’s unique offering resonated with many who attended, bridging the gap between technology and personal expression through body art.
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