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20 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2026 defense boards, so we have focused on that industrial market with this product, rather than direct to consumer. The very best way to get into having an equip- ment line is when your customers ask you to do it. That's right, because it wasn't our expertise and we didn't originally set out to do this technology, but it has grown into a powerful standalone system, with capabilities unmatched here domestically. How did you originally begin to work with your customers? What does that partnership look like? It boils down to finding some early champion cus- tomers, ones willing to spend time working with us, because they see the value and differentiation this technology can provide. Once you reach a critical mass of champion customers, you take things to a commercial level. It's tough because it's genuinely new technology, and you teach your customers as you go. We've traveled the world over the past six years, focused on educating the market, and now we have trust and some understanding of the tech- nology. Metal complex inks are just now starting to reach the level of mainstream commercialization. Are education and awareness the hardest and longest parts of the cycle? Yes, but it comes down to two key elements: Does it provide new functionality, and does it break down a brick wall that customers are hitting? What problem does it solve? You don't want to be just a me-too product, but something that moves the needle on performance and works from a cost modeling standpoint. Bringing new materials to market is obviously difficult, but we're in a very exciting space. We're entrepreneurs who want to bring new technology forward, and are driven by wanting to build new economic ecosystems. Tell me about the silver metal ink for EMI shielding. Our silver product line is very mature at this point, with 12 to 15 commercial ink products and two sys- tems based on either different deposition methods or the different substrates and stackups they go into. We also have gold, platinum, nickel, palladium, and copper metal-complex inks. Currently, we're focusing on copper, which customers like for vari- ous reasons: It's found in many places, and is cost- effective compared to silver, gold, platinum, and palladium. Obviously, copper has certain oxidation issues, but we've developed two distinct copper technologies, one of which is compatible with an ambient environment. To print copper and achieve good electronic performance at ambient temperature is a big win. The other copper tech- nology we developed is better suited to a nitro- gen-based environment, which is commonly used in assembly processes. An initial focus for copper is on metallizing surfaces and vias with it to create a very thin seed layer that can be plated on directly. That's an im- portant use case right now. Additive technology offers sustainability benefits, with inherently lower waste and fewer processes, while achieving very fine features. But is sustain- ability a big selling point? Certainly, OEMs want to tell that story about their supply chain. It's becoming increasingly important at the highest levels of manufacturing. People will talk about the importance of water and energy usage and even CapEx, but the manufacturing footprint is also a big issue. Additive tools gener- ally have a much smaller factory footprint and offer flexibility in repositioning the line. Typically, a standard line is dedicated to a single technology, but with additive, you can change the printing or deposition patterns. You can reposition an additive line for different products relatively quickly. That eases the burden and the risk of a factory buying a specific tool set for a specific product that might go out to production in a relatively short timeline. Electroninks has been growing rapidly. What does your global footprint look like today? Even with the onshoring push, we must still have a very global supply chain to remain competitive. We have a manufacturing site in the Asia Pacific region and one in Delaware. We also have overseas sales offices. We are a company of just 50 people, so it is challenging to operate on a global scale. Our approach has been to choose our locations and our