What Happened To Neo Innovations From Shark Tank Season 4?

Tuning into ABC's hit reality series "Shark Tank" has always been a bit of an adventure, since viewers never know when a product pitch might go embarrassingly sideways, as with Season 10's cringe-worthy Haven Door Lock. But fans who've been around since the show's earliest days might argue the first few seasons delivered some of the more intriguing pitches and out-there products. That was, arguably, the case with a Season 4 pitch from Neo Innovations, not so much because founders Nick Gonzalez and Kevin Mack went wonky in their presentation, but because their product proved as potentially problematic as it was undoubtedly innovative.

The product the duo pitched in the season's 18th episode was the Black Magic IPL, a hand-held at-home device designed to fade, and ultimately remove, tattoos over time. Gonzalez and Mack walked into the "Shark Tank" studio hot to put their best pitch forward, and though they initially seemed to have the ear of at least a shark or two, the investment waters got choppy when the panelists started asking some difficult questions about the device's safety.

As regular "Shark Tank" viewers can attest, once a pitch starts going downhill, it's hard to get back in control and close a deal. To that point, the Neo Innovations co-founders faced an uphill battle in convincing someone to back their product. Here's a look at what ultimately became of Neo Innovations and its tattoo-removal device after its Season 4 appearance on "Shark Tank."

Nick Gonzalez and Kevin Mack stepped in front of the "Shark Tank" panel seeking $80,000 in return for a 20% stake in their company. The ask was hardly a big one, particularly as the upside for the Black Magic tattoo remover could be huge, since tattoo removal has historically been dominated by high-priced procedures that utilize laser technology. The duo were quick to point out that, with a price tag of $139 to $300, their product could save those looking to eliminate regrettable, and potentially heat-stroke-causing, tattoos a small fortune in removal costs.

Their product was a simple device that Gonzalez said used a 50-watt light source and a neodymium ring magnet to fade and remove a tattoo over time. Gonzalez claimed that intense light pulses have been proven the most effective way to remove tattoos. He then demonstrated the Black Magic's ease of use and effectiveness on his own tattoo, with Mack using a black-and-white balloon to showcase how it was designed to target dark pigments. 

Unfortunately, safety issues pervaded their pitch, with Daymond John bluntly asking, "I'm Black. Will I explode if I put that on me?" The question elicited a few laughs, but the safety concerns surrounding the device's DIY approach — coupled with the obvious potential for litigation, and a lack of full-fledged FDA approval — proved too real for any of the sharks to consider investing, including soon-to-be-ex-shark Mark Cuban, who admitted that he liked the idea. 

Although the Neo Innovations team was unable to convince a single shark to look beyond the obvious safety concerns, Gonzalez and Mack noted they'd been successful in selling their product to consumers through online outlets like Amazon, and they continued to do so after their prime-time closeup. While there are no quantifiable sales numbers available as backup, conventional wisdom says that even in lieu of scoring a deal, a profile-raising TV spot can significantly boost a product's profile. So it's logical to assume the Black Magic tattoo remover saw at least a modest sales bump after the 2013 appearance. Unfortunately, there are no available reviews from customers to attest to its effectiveness.

While Neo Innovations kept selling that original device for the better part of the ensuing decade, it appears the sharks' critiques were not lost on Gonzalez, who admitted in a 2023 statement that he and Mack may have jumped the gun on their "Shark Tank" appearance and taken their product to the panel before it was truly ready to be seen. In his statement, he also unveiled a new and improved model he said was easier to use, operated on a rechargeable lithium ion battery, and coupled its patent-pending neodynium magnet design with a more focusable xenon pulse light. He said the newly redesigned product proved so effective, it was patient-tested and adopted for use by a renowned plastic surgeon who ultimately co-authored its patent with him.  

Neo Innovations' redesigned at-home tattoo remover apparently went to market sometime in 2023. Like the older model, however, there are no reviews available to attest to its effectiveness, as neither product is currently listed for sale through Amazon or any other online retailer. Likewise, the Neo Innovations website is no longer functioning, signaling that the redesigned Black Magic was likely not enough to keep the company afloat.

Given that Neo Innovations and its product have all but vanished from the retail arena, it would seem there is no future to speak of for the company or its intriguing DIY tattoo removal device. That is, of course, hardly uncommon for wide-eyed entrepreneurs who take to "Shark Tank" hoping to secure financial backing for one product or another. But then again, tracking which products find their footing in the market and which are doomed to fall flat after appearing on the series is half the fun of watching it.