ABout the Company
Living Ink is a biomaterials company on a mission to use sustainable algae technologies to replace petroleum-derived products and launch carbon negative products.
Carbon Black is the the black pigment that makes materials black such as ink, plastics, leathers and rubbers. It is made from heavy petroleum and generates a large carbon footprint while being unsafe for humans. Living Ink has developed a sustainable alternative called Algae Black™. It’s made from algae, not petroleum. The innovative pigment is carbon negative, safe, bio-based and tells a novel sustainability story.
Living Ink uses the Algae Black™ pigment to create the portfolio of Algae Ink™ products. These inks are sustainable, easy to use, stay black under UV light exposure and have outstanding color density.
Scott and Steve met when they were PhD students in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program at Colorado State University. They were both researching algae projects related to biofuels and bioproducts. In 2013, it was brought to their attention that the majority of printing ink used in the world are produced from toxic petroleum products. This inspired them to use algae as biopigments to develop the world's most sustainable ink. The company has raised $4M including $2M from the National Science Foundation and $2M of private investment. The company was awarded numerous honors from the U.S. Department of Energy, University of Colorado and Colorado State University.
Leadership
Scott Fulbright, PHD;
Co-Founder & CEO
Scott is the CEO and Co-Founder at Living Ink. He spent his career building early stage biotechnology companies. This includes venture backed Valcent Products Inc, Global Green Solutions and Solix Biosystems. At Living Ink, Scott focuses on strategic planning, fundraising and collaborating with brands to incorporate microbial-based materials within their supply chains. He earned his B.S. from Michigan State University and his Ph.D from Colorado State University.
Steve Albers, PHD;
Co-Founder & CTO
Steve's past research focused on engineering algae to produce valuable commercial products. Steve engineered a strain of algae that is capable of producing a bio-fuel molecule that resembles diesel fuel. He also engineering a strain of algae that makes Astaxanthin, a molecule capable of protecting cells from dangerous toxins. Steve has also worked at the technology transfer office for CSU, CSU Ventures.
Jacob roodman
chief operating officer
Jacob has spent his career operating at the intersection of innovation, sales, and manufacturing in multiple corporate settings.
He brings extensive experience developing and commercializing new products in consumer good and nutraceutical industries with global brands including Armstrong World Industries, Newell Brands Rubbermaid, and ChromaDex Inc.
Jacob leads Living Ink operations, supply chain, and business strategy efforts.
Tom van Kuren;
R&D Director – Inks and Dispersions
Tom is a veteran of the paint, inks and coatings industry, beginning as a formulator and advancing through various R&D leadership roles at PPG, AkzoNobel, Sherwin Williams, Valspar, Watson Standard and Michelman. His experience spans Architectural to Automotive applications with significant experience in Metal, Film and Paper Packaging. His commercial role at Dar-Tech provided additional insights into sales, new market development and distribution. In each role he has built high performing teams and contributed significant revenue from new products and raw material cost savings.
Tom leads the Living Ink R&D efforts for inks and dispersions.
Peter Bradley
Strategic Advisor
Peter Bradley has 25 years of global business leadership with extensive experience in the food ingredients, specialty chemicals and consumer foods industries. He was Chief Executive Officer of Warwick Chemicals, a private-equity owned specialty chemical manufacturer. Other previous positions include President, Color Group based in the USA and President, Asia Pacific based in Singapore for Sensient Technologies Corporation, the NYSE listed flavor, fragrance and color business. He is now focused on supporting businesses take their company to the next level of success. Proven track record in developing and implementing growth strategies to deliver significant shareholder value through business performance enhancement, entry into new markets and strategic M+A activity.
Terry clayton;
Strategic Advisor
Dr. Clayton is an expert in the development and commercialization of Smart Materials, Microencapsulation, Inks, Coatings Pharmaceuticals, and Nutraceuticals. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry and 20 years of commercial experience.
Dr. Clayton is a Director at EFI working with scientists, engineers, and software developers, inventing technology for digital manufacturing. He was a Vice President at Chromatic Technologies where he led an explosion of innovation and product development. He was responsible for the new product pipeline, project management, and intellectual property. Dr. Clayton's team worked closely with Sales, Marketing, key clients (CPG and government agencies), Operations and global contract manufacturing organizations to invent, develop and produce smart materials to help business partners grow their business.
Ben walker;
Strategic Advisor
Ben Walker has more than 30 years of direct business planning & execution experience, marketing management including product development, market development, and technical marketing for new market categories/products as well as established product lines in the commercial and consumer space. Ben also worked for the HP corporate strategy group within the Merger and Acquisitions office. Currently he is chief marketing officer at Advanced Regenerative Therapies.