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April 13, 2017 (LINCOLN, NE) — Ink Labs, Inc., announced today the relocation of their official headquarters from Silicon Valley to Lincoln, Nebraska. The announcement was made at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus near one of their new Smart Station installations. The announcement was made in coordination with the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Invest Nebraska. Ink was welcomed to Lincoln by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, Lincoln Chamber and Partnership President Wendy Birdsall, and University of Nebraska Chief Information Officer Mark Askren. Ink’s new physical address will be in the Fuse Coworking building located in the Railyard District of downtown Lincoln.

“Lincoln, Nebraska, affords Ink with the ability to attract smart, young, loyal talent at scale and offer them a superlative proposition for quality of life,” said Ink CEO, Jonathan Manzi. “We’re excited to follow in the footsteps of Redbox and Zappos – whose leadership advised us on this decision – and relocate Ink outside of Silicon Valley in an effort to blitzscale our business”

Ink was founded and backed by a Stanford student, the founders of Redbox, the CEO of Zappos, and the president of Warner Bros, who all believe improving small things can lead to big changes. Ink has applied this philosophy, smart technology and a customer-focused model to revolutionize the way students print, and express themselves, on campus.

Ink’s signature product, the Ink Smart Station, is more than a printer. It helps higher education address inefficiencies and streamline every day processes to support the optimal student experience. It creates a connected experience for students and empowers campus decision-makers to reduce expenses and generate revenue. Since piloting the Ink Smart Station at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in August 2016, Ink has expanded its presence on campus and is now also at 12 additional institutions.

Ink also announced today the closing of $6.65 million in seed round funding. With this funding, Ink plans to expand operations and launch several new higher education partnerships by the fall of 2017. Due to this rapid growth and close partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Ink made the choice to relocate to Lincoln. Nebraska is one of the fastest growing states when it comes to high-growth startup funding, making it a natural fit for Ink, a fast-growing company.

Participating in the seed round were Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh’s VTF Capital, Base Ventures, G-Bar Ventures, Sipadan Capital, Nelnet, IT-Farm, Speedway, the Nebraska Angels, and Invest Nebraska. Invest Nebraska, a public-private partnership with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, is a major player in the advancement of high-growth businesses across the state and led the negotiations for the Nebraska investor syndicate to back Ink and the company’s move to Lincoln.

“We’re deeply committed to growing Lincoln’s economy by attracting and assisting unique companies and innovative startups with breakthrough ideas,” said Birdsall. “We believe the Ink team has significant potential to contribute and effectively implement big ideas that have a positive impact for Lincoln and the rest of the state.”

For more information about Ink, visit https://inkcloud.me.

To download Create a Better Student Experience: A CIO’s Guide to the Internet of Things, a white paper by Ink which explores five things CIOs need to know about improving the student experience with IoT, visit https://whitepaper-rollout.inkcloud.me.

About Ink

Ink offers an advanced campus printing solution that is built for today’s connected world. Designed by a Stanford student, with support from the founders of Redbox, the CEO of Zappos, and the president of Warner Bros, the Ink Smart Station lets students print, share and send files anywhere, anytime. By blending innovative approaches, commitment to sophisticated design, and a passion for education, Ink develops products that work the way students think, simplify the lives of decision makers in higher education, and help colleges and universities tap the full potential of the smart campus.

To learn more about Ink Smart Station, visit https://inkcloud.me and follow them on Twitter.

About Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development

The Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development is a public-private collaboration charged with fulfilling Lincoln’s economic development goals upholding the idea that job growth and business expansion are critical components of a thriving economy. LPED executes economic development activities to produce and sustain economic growth, generate jobs and improve the quality of life for the citizens of Lincoln.

About Invest Nebraska

Invest Nebraska is a public-private partnership funded by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to grow the state’s economy by supporting high-growth, early-stage companies in Nebraska. Invest Nebraska works directly with entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses to help commercialize their technologies, launch and grow new businesses, and access needed capital.

Media Contact Kate Ellingson at 1-800-426-6505, 1-402-471-3749 or email kate.ellingson@nebraska.gov