David Savastano, Editor05.09.12
Printechnologics' Touchcode is Enjoying Commercial Success
Touchcode, Printechnologics’ invisible, electronic data tag which can be printed on nearly any surface – including paper, carton or foil – to establish a link between online and offline communications, is one of the most intriguing products in the printed electronics (PE) pipeline.
In order to activate Touchcode’s data, the user needs a touchscreen smartphone or tablet and the app or website that correlates with the printed material. Placing the card on the device’s screen will automatically trigger the device to access and play the content, or validate the authenticity of a ticket or a packaged product. No camera or special reader is required.
More than 25 million Touchcode cards were produced in 2011, and Sascha Voigt, founder and CEO of Printechnologics, said the company is on track for more than 100 million this year. With its partnership with 3M and new projects from major brands such as ICON magazine, iSupergol and Nukotoys now underway, the future is extremely bright for Printechnologics.
Touchcode is indeed versatile. Voigt noted that in the projects mentioned above, Touchcode was used in different ways. For ICON, a Touchcode-imprinted card allowed users to instantly able to enjoy a free issue of the ICON’s digital counterpart, The ICONIST, on their iPads.
“In the case of ICON, Touchcode served as a coupon to get free access to exclusive online contents,” Voigt said. “The Welt Group was impressed by the results, especially the ease of use, which inspired the company to plan already next use cases. One of them will be published in early summer.”
With iSupergol, a leading sticker album for soccer players, fans could instantly access enhanced content about their favorite Israeli players by holding the card to their device’s screen. In conjunction with Nukotoys, Printechnologics has developed a new line of interactive collectible cards, titled Monsterology and Animal Planet: Wildlands, which will be released in the U.S. this summer.
“With iSupergol and Nukotoys, Touchcode enabled a direct connection between traditional trading cards and online stuff like videos, additional information and multiple player options,” Voigt noted. “Within two week, all booster packs of iSupergol were sold out, and the app became no. 1 in the Israel App Store. For Nukotoys, Touchcode is the essential base for the games, enabling digital experiences which were not possible before.”
These are high-profile projects, and Printechnologics is receiving increased interest as a result of its successes.
“The interest in Touchcode has increased enormously within the last six month,” Voigt said. “Whether the projects are responsible or due to different trading shows is difficult to evaluate. However, it is not so important. More and more newspapers are reporting about the technology, and end users are actively discussing Touchcode in different kind of blogs, forums and even with social media tools like Facebook or Twitter.”
By utilizing conventional offset printing, Printechnologics is able to offer the advantages of RFID at the cost of a QR code.
“Touchcode is the first printed electronic code enabling a seamless connection between printed products and digital contents,” Voigt said. “It is invisible and secure like RFID tags, but offers the low cost of a QR code. Beside these advantages, Touchcode is fully recyclable. Moreover, the production can be completely done with a common printing machine without the use for special materials. Touchcode is simply printed like a fifth color.”
Touchcode continues to earn notice from the PE industry. In 2011, Printechnologics received IDTechEx’s Best Product Development Award for the launch of Touchcode. This year, IDTechEx honored Touchcode with the Best Commercialization Award during Printed Electronics Europe 2012. The award was based on the number of products sold and the generated revenues.
Voigt said that the October 2010 investment by 3M New Ventures in Printechnologics has been beneficial to the company.
“To be successful in developing and commercializing new technologies, strong partnerships are one essential key.,” Voigt said. “So of course, the cooperation with 3M helps us to grow – since 2010 our company size has increased four times. But that is just one key – others like an entrepreneurial culture, a careful communication or a strategy which focuses on the product are at least as important.”
Understandably, Voigt sees great opportunities ahead for Touchcode and Printechnologics.
“For us, inventions like the Touchcode are simply the first step in the evolution of printed electronics, and will lead towards a series of innovations that will change everyday life,” Voigt concluded. “Since Touchcode has been market ready last year, already 25 millions Touchcode were produced. We expect an increase to 100 million this year, and for the next year, a production volume in the billions.
“Printed functionalities like our Touchcode are the first step towards a development which revolutionizes offline and online communications,” Voigt added. “We expect a further growth for both - us and the market for printed functionalities.”
Touchcode, Printechnologics’ invisible, electronic data tag which can be printed on nearly any surface – including paper, carton or foil – to establish a link between online and offline communications, is one of the most intriguing products in the printed electronics (PE) pipeline.
More than 25 million Touchcode cards were produced in 2011, and Sascha Voigt, founder and CEO of Printechnologics, said the company is on track for more than 100 million this year. With its partnership with 3M and new projects from major brands such as ICON magazine, iSupergol and Nukotoys now underway, the future is extremely bright for Printechnologics.
Touchcode is indeed versatile. Voigt noted that in the projects mentioned above, Touchcode was used in different ways. For ICON, a Touchcode-imprinted card allowed users to instantly able to enjoy a free issue of the ICON’s digital counterpart, The ICONIST, on their iPads.
“In the case of ICON, Touchcode served as a coupon to get free access to exclusive online contents,” Voigt said. “The Welt Group was impressed by the results, especially the ease of use, which inspired the company to plan already next use cases. One of them will be published in early summer.”
With iSupergol, a leading sticker album for soccer players, fans could instantly access enhanced content about their favorite Israeli players by holding the card to their device’s screen. In conjunction with Nukotoys, Printechnologics has developed a new line of interactive collectible cards, titled Monsterology and Animal Planet: Wildlands, which will be released in the U.S. this summer.
“With iSupergol and Nukotoys, Touchcode enabled a direct connection between traditional trading cards and online stuff like videos, additional information and multiple player options,” Voigt noted. “Within two week, all booster packs of iSupergol were sold out, and the app became no. 1 in the Israel App Store. For Nukotoys, Touchcode is the essential base for the games, enabling digital experiences which were not possible before.”
These are high-profile projects, and Printechnologics is receiving increased interest as a result of its successes.
“The interest in Touchcode has increased enormously within the last six month,” Voigt said. “Whether the projects are responsible or due to different trading shows is difficult to evaluate. However, it is not so important. More and more newspapers are reporting about the technology, and end users are actively discussing Touchcode in different kind of blogs, forums and even with social media tools like Facebook or Twitter.”
By utilizing conventional offset printing, Printechnologics is able to offer the advantages of RFID at the cost of a QR code.
“Touchcode is the first printed electronic code enabling a seamless connection between printed products and digital contents,” Voigt said. “It is invisible and secure like RFID tags, but offers the low cost of a QR code. Beside these advantages, Touchcode is fully recyclable. Moreover, the production can be completely done with a common printing machine without the use for special materials. Touchcode is simply printed like a fifth color.”
Touchcode continues to earn notice from the PE industry. In 2011, Printechnologics received IDTechEx’s Best Product Development Award for the launch of Touchcode. This year, IDTechEx honored Touchcode with the Best Commercialization Award during Printed Electronics Europe 2012. The award was based on the number of products sold and the generated revenues.
Voigt said that the October 2010 investment by 3M New Ventures in Printechnologics has been beneficial to the company.
“To be successful in developing and commercializing new technologies, strong partnerships are one essential key.,” Voigt said. “So of course, the cooperation with 3M helps us to grow – since 2010 our company size has increased four times. But that is just one key – others like an entrepreneurial culture, a careful communication or a strategy which focuses on the product are at least as important.”
Understandably, Voigt sees great opportunities ahead for Touchcode and Printechnologics.
“For us, inventions like the Touchcode are simply the first step in the evolution of printed electronics, and will lead towards a series of innovations that will change everyday life,” Voigt concluded. “Since Touchcode has been market ready last year, already 25 millions Touchcode were produced. We expect an increase to 100 million this year, and for the next year, a production volume in the billions.
“Printed functionalities like our Touchcode are the first step towards a development which revolutionizes offline and online communications,” Voigt added. “We expect a further growth for both - us and the market for printed functionalities.”