INX International Ink Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SAKATA INX, announced it is establishing INX Venture Capital to make minority investments in technology and materials science startups with strategic relevance to the printing inks and coatings value chain. INX Venture Capital will be a $50M investment program and will focus on categories like sustainability and circular economy solutions, digital printing, business and manufacturing automation, and services for brand owners.  

“Our corporate venture capital program represents an expansion of INX’s innovation toolkit, furthering our mission of leading the printing inks and coatings industry in delivering safe and sustainable solutions that enhance the customer experience,” said Shane Bertsch, vice president of strategic planning and innovation. “We’re eager to marry our focus of creating value for customers, brands, and consumers with our curiosity for new technologies and business models.”

Bryce Kristo, INX’s chief financial officer, added, “As one of the largest ink manufacturing companies in the world, we believe our technical expertise and industry relationships can help entrepreneurs build great companies that create a positive impact on consumers’ lives and our planet. We are excited to deploy INX’s resources to help our portfolio companies scale.”

INX Venture Capital is stage agnostic, with an emphasis on early stage startups that have demonstrated “product market-fit” and have begun to generate revenue. The fund will also pursue select seed and growth stage opportunities. Typical checks will range from $1M to $3M initially, with reserves for follow-up investments. INX Venture Capital will have a global investment mandate, with an emphasis on opportunities in its core markets of North America, Europe, and South America, in concert with SAKATA INX’s worldwide innovation efforts.

The fund is jointly run with Touchdown Ventures, a provider of corporate venture capital managed services. Scott Lenet, Touchdown co-founder and president, noted, “We are enthusiastic about the capital investment, industry expertise, and operational excellence that INX can bring to its portfolio companies. We believe INX Venture Capital will be an ideal partner for entrepreneurs and venture investors seeking to launch and scale innovative new technologies that are applicable to printing inks and coatings.”