In an unexpected twist at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, four members of the TechCrunch editorial team left the event with new tattoos — all created right on the convention floor. The tattoos were provided by Tattd, a startup featured in the Battlefield 200 exhibition area.

Senior producer Maggie Nye displayed a pixelated cursor tattoo on her arm, which matched one inked by TechCrunch reporter Becca Szkutak. Another staff member, Theresa Loconsolo, opted for a cheerful moon design, while deputy managing editor Karyne Levy received a tattoo of an escape key. All of the tattoos were completed inside Tattd’s booth, which had been transformed into a miniature tattoo studio amid hundreds of startup exhibits ranging from robotic kitchen assistants to spacecraft insurance ventures.

Tattd is a platform designed to connect individuals with tattoo artists whose work aligns with their preferred style. The company uses generative artificial intelligence to create visual mockups of tattoo ideas. These AI mockups are not tattooed directly; instead, they are used to locate real artists whose portfolio aligns with the design style. Clients are then matched with these artists to create custom artwork collaboratively.

“If you ask a generic AI system to generate something like ‘a butterfly in a Japanese traditional style with strong line work,’ it often won’t fully understand,” explained founder Laura Schaack. “Our system uses AI only to guide people to actual artists whose work captures the style they’re imagining.”

Before launching Tattd, Schaack held leadership roles at WearAway, a fashion rental platform later acquired by Grin, and Lemonsqueeze, a market expansion company acquired by Knotel. With a background in art history from New York University and extensive personal tattoo experience, Schaack emphasized the importance of credibility within the tattoo industry.

“Many have tried to enter this industry without truly being part of it, and they’ve struggled,” she said. “I’m heavily tattooed myself, and I care deeply about supporting artists and clients alike.”

Tattd currently features around 900 artists and assists them by connecting them with healthcare resources and financial advisory support.
Over the course of the three-day event, Schaack estimated that roughly 30 attendees chose to get tattooed at the Tattd booth. Although the flash sheet included a TechCrunch logo, no one opted to have the brand permanently inked.

The appearance of a live tattoo studio on the conference floor was one of the standout highlights of this year’s Disrupt, demonstrating how deeply personal experiences and creative expression are intersecting with the technology startup sphere.

Source: Techcrunch