UMD Copper Ink Startup Receives Strategic Investment from E Ink

Professor holding a paper microchip up close.

E Ink, a developer of ePaper technology, announced a significant early investment in NewCopper, a University of Maryland startup that arose from Professor Shenqian Ren’s conductive copper ink invention.

In May, a research group led by Ren developed a liquid reactive ink that can print copper onto nearly any surface without oxidation or corrosion. Ren, along with Professor Liangbing Hu from Yale University, and Senior Scientist Haimei Zheng from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, led a collaborative effort that spanned over a decade of discovery.

The ePaper technology firm’s investment will establish opportunities for technical collaboration in display materials and printed electronics while supporting the development of a more localized and resilient supply chain.

“Thrilled to see our liquid copper ink innovation come to life, advancing materials’ circularity for a more sustainable future in electronics,” said Ren.

As flexible electronics expand into applications such as displays, sensors, solar technology, RFID and connected devices, manufacturers are seeking alternatives to high-cost silver ink, which is widely used to create conductive pathways in printed components. Copper offers strong conductivity at a lower material cost, but its susceptibility to oxidation has historically limited its broader adoption. NewCopper developed a proprietary low-temperature, reactive and self-passivating copper ink formulation designed to overcome this challenge.

E Ink will make the investment through a post-money Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) and leverage its display manufacturing expertise to support NewCopper's production scale-up and commercialization. Because NewCopper's formulation is compatible with E Ink's roll-to-roll coating capabilities, the investment also creates an opportunity for E Ink's R&D team to evaluate copper ink as a potential conductive material for future displays and electrode applications. More broadly, the collaboration strengthens the localized supply chain for advanced electronic materials and supports the future production of ePaper components.

Published September 14, 2026