An AI-powered colour matching tool developed by Northamptonshire digital agency Zinc Digital has generated more than £5,000 in sales for fellow county business Vitiliglow within 72 hours of its launch.
The technology was introduced as part of Vitiliglow’s World Vitiligo Day campaign in June and allows customers to upload a photograph of their skin to receive an instant recommendation for the most suitable product shade. According to the companies, the sales were directly attributable to the tool during its first three days.
The project addresses a long-standing challenge for people with vitiligo, who have often relied on trial and error or one-to-one consultations to identify the correct skin tone match. The online system also offers a more private purchasing experience for customers who would rather not discuss their condition in person.
Polly Gotschi, founder of Northamptonshire-based Vitiliglow, said: “Until now, customers would send me photos of their skin and I’d recommend the closest shade, but it wasn’t always easy because lighting can completely change how skin looks in a picture. This tool takes away that uncertainty and gives customers an accurate recommendation in seconds.
“For many people with vitiligo, privacy is really important. Around half of our customers are men, and many prefer to find the right product without having to discuss their condition. Being able to do that online is a huge step forward.”
Polly said the business also believes the technology could support its longer-term ambition of securing NHS approval by simplifying the matching, ordering and fulfilment process.
Since the launch, she said the system has continued to generate sales while reducing the volume of manual shade-matching enquiries.
Vitiliglow produces rub-proof, sweatproof camouflage skincare for larger areas affected by vitiligo, a condition estimated to affect around 1% of the global population. Polly developed the condition in her mid-20s before creating the product in 2012 after struggling to find an effective solution herself.
The business received national exposure after appearing on Dragon’s Den in 2015, when it attracted around 4,000 customers overnight, and has since expanded its customer base across the UK and overseas.
The AI colour matching system forms part of a wider digital transformation programme delivered by Little Houghton-based Zinc Digital, which also included the development of a new Shopify website.
Hannah Austin, AI Lead at Zinc Digital, said: “We were able to leverage AI technology to deliver this solution in a fraction of the time and cost it would have taken to build from scratch. Developing this tool traditionally would have taken months, but we created it in just a couple of months. This is a perfect example of how quickly the digital market is moving and how AI can add genuine value to businesses.”
Oliver McKeown, Head of Digital at Zinc Digital, said the project reflected the agency’s focus on developing practical AI applications that solve business problems while improving customer experience.
Founded 20 years ago, Zinc Digital provides websites, bespoke software and digital transformation services to organisations across the UK and overseas. The agency won Small Business of the Year and West Northants Innovation Business of the Year at the 2025 Northamptonshire Business Awards.
Image: Vitiliglow founder Polly Gotschi visits Zinc Digital’s Northamptonshire office following the launch of an AI-powered colour matching tool developed with the agency. Oliver McKeown, Head of Digital at Zinc Digital, is pictured on the right.
