Blank Beauty Gets Investment for AI Nail Polish Tech

Nail polish is having its tech girl era – and AI’s in charge of the colour wheel.

Blank Beauty, a Tennessee-based beauty tech startup, has just secured a fresh coat of funding from some big names, including nail polish manufacturing giant Kirker Enterprises. Also in on the deal? Venture capital firm Evolution VC Partners and Epson Robots, the same company behind those ultra-precise factory arms. Together, they’re backing Blank Beauty’s mission to turn nail polish customisation into a hyper-personal, AI-powered experience.

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Founded in 2016, Blank Beauty is all about automation and ultra-specific shades. Using a blend of artificial intelligence and robotics, their compact ‘Huey’ machines – currently being trialled in select Walmart stores in Tennessee and Arkansas – can whip up over 40,000 unique nail polish colours. And we’re not just talking generic pinks and reds. Think: a polish that matches your favourite tote bag, a lipstick dupe for your nails, or even a shade inspired by your cat’s eyes.

Prefer to polish from your sofa? Their online platform lets users create bespoke shades that can be delivered straight to their door. Kirker supplies the polish bases and pigments that power these creations, so this investment marks a natural next step in their growing partnership.

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“Our investment in Blank Beauty is the logical next step in our partnership and allows us to support Blank Beauty in their growth goals while leveraging their technology to support Kirker’s customers around the world,” says Trish Malvar, President of Kirker Enterprises, Inc.

The idea of custom polish isn’t totally new – Brazilian brand Esmalte Machine was ahead of the curve over a decade ago – but Blank’s modern spin, powered by AI and slick hardware, takes things next level.

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Other players are also getting a techy manicure. At CES 2024, Nimble showed off its at-home robot manicurist – a white box that paints and dries your nails in under half an hour. While it doesn’t yet do custom colours, it’s a promising alternative for salon dodgers.

Meanwhile, innovation in nail tech continues to bubble over, with IL Cosmetics and Fiabila both debuting fresh formulas and futuristic tools at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna in March. Whether the hype turns into hard sales remains to be seen – but one thing’s certain: the future of nail polish is looking smart, small, and seriously custom.