E Ink Announces $25 Million Investment from TOPPAN and a Strategic Partnership

By Planet eBook Editor
February 9, 2002

E Ink has continued its growing success with another round of investment coming from TOPPAN Printing. Accompanying the announcement of a further $25 million investment, the two companies included details on the expansion of their strategic partnership.

The partnership began last year with TOPPAN's $5 million investment, which gave the company -- for a period -- exclusive rights to manufacture and supply color filter arrays for electronic ink displays. In the latest deal TOPPAN will make front plane laminate (FPL) products for E Ink's active matrix graphical displays business.

E Ink makes a flexible, paper-like electronic display on thin sheets of plastic, with the product's key features being its low energy consumption and high-resolution screen.

E Ink and eBooks

Last year E Ink unveiled a prototype of an eBook reading device, with the release touted for 2003. The basic specifications were as follows:

  • Costs $300
  • 1 cm thick
  • 7" diagonal screen
  • 9 ounces
  • Powered by 2 AA batteries
  • Includes memory card slot
  • Syncs with PC via USB or parallel port