With their mission defined as that of making the most sustainable ink in the world to reduce petroleum use, Living Ink was founded by two Colorado State University PhD students researching microalgae for biofuels. The firm is developing technology that uses living algae cells as ink that grows when exposed to light - the world's first time-lapse ink. The firm currently commercializing this patent technology in the toy, greeting card and promotional products markets. This time-lapse ink gives the recipient the opportunity to enjoy the ink for a longer period of time because of how the Living Ink grows and develops in a unique way. Beyond this first product line, Living Ink is also developing algae derived ink that will replace traditional petroleum based ink for packaging, printing and writing. Additionally, they plan to enter the cosmetics and food industries for ingredients that are algae derived.
