With Undo Your Tattoo, Sera Schoordijk-Koeleman professionalized the Dutch tattoo removal market. To accelerate international growth, she brought in Australian investment fund Factory Capital. 'I want to grow in a controlled way and make no concessions to quality.'
During a stay in Indonesia, Sera Schoordijk-Koeleman had a tattoo done that she soon regretted. The ink was grainy and dark looking. By the time she had it done, she actually regretted it. Searching for a safe removal method, she discovered a fragmented market with large differences in quality and little personal guidance.
'There was a lack in the market of care that really matched everyone's personal situation,' Schoordijk-Koeleman said. 'I saw in this not only a blind spot, but mainly an opportunity to do things differently: with attention, professionalism and a respectful approach in a safe environment. From a rented space in Amsterdam , I started Undo Your Tattoo myself in 2015, with one practitioner and a laser device I purchased myself.'
Data-driven
In ten years, she built the business into a chain of six branches, with more than 20 specialized skin therapists. This growth did not come out of the blue: the demand for tattoo removal is increasing rapidly. According to the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), 19 percent experience regret. Schoordijk-Koeleman: "Due to the increased popularity of tattoos over the past 20 years, the number of unwanted tattoos has also increased. I increasingly see people around me who regret their tattoo because it no longer suited them, evoked an uncomfortable feeling or symbolized a period they would rather leave behind.'
Undo Your Tattoo stands out for its use of advanced laser technology, data-driven treatment protocols and high service standards. Intake interviews last a minimum of 30 minutes, clients can have time for reflection, and no concessions are ever made to treatment protocols. Data is collected from each treatment - on skin type, settings, session progress and results achieved, among other things - which is then analyzed and applied to create a customized treatment plan for each client. The business has now performed more than 130,000 treatments; good for a wealth of data.
Grow faster
After ten years of organic growth, the Undo Your Tattoo founder was faced with a choice: continue on her own or accelerate with a partner. 'Earlier I thought: we can do this ourselves,' she says. 'But soon I saw that working together with a wealthy partner with experience in scaling up could yield a lot and that this might allow us to grow faster, without compromising on quality.'
That realization initiated the search for a strategic partner. A party with financial clout and knowledge of the tattoo removal market. With guidance from Marktlink , she came into contact with the Australian investment fund Factory Capital, which had previously been involved with Removery - with more than 150 branches, the largest player in tattoo removal in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Factory Capital invested an undisclosed amount in Undo Your Tattoo, a business the investor sees as the most experienced player in Europe. No financial details or the size of the equity stake sold will be disclosed, but it is clear that Undo Your Tattoo will continue to operate independently under Schoordijk-Koeleman's leadership and that she will remain in charge of the business. "We weren't just looking for an investor, but a sparring partner who understands how our market works.
Conquering Europe
Undo Your Tattoo wants to continue to grow organically in the Netherlands and is considering opening branches in Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. In addition, with Factory Capital's help, the business is working with Sweden's Rethink to further shape its expansion into Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Estonia.
According to Schoordijk-Koeleman, there is still a lot of room for further professionalization of the market. 'Tattoo removal is not a protected profession in the Netherlands. As a result, there is little control over who performs treatments or with what equipment. This lack of supervision makes professionalization all the more important. Unambiguous regulations are also lacking at the European level. That brings risks, but also opportunities for us. However, I want to grow in a controlled way and make no concessions to quality.'
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