Archipelago Technology
Archipelago Technology is a Cambridge, UK-based company that develops and sells the Powerdrop™ non-contact inkjet coating system, enabling precision application of viscous liquids for sustainable paper packaging, industrial coatings, adhesives, and agricultural chemicals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersCambridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Archipelago Technology does
Archipelago Technology Group Ltd is a Cambridge, UK-based private company that has developed and commercialised the Powerdrop™ non-contact inkjet coating system. Powerdrop dispenses viscous liquids (1–2,000 mPas) as precision microdroplets via a hollow cylindrical drum of nozzles, delivering coating at distances of 300mm or more with millimetre accuracy and up to 97% transfer efficiency at line speeds up to 120 m/min. The technology is protected by a portfolio of 20+ granted and pending patents across the UK, EU, US, China, Japan, Brazil, Canada, South Korea and India, with the related Poweraqua® platform covered by additional IP.
The company's commercial product is the Powerdrop 200mm (8 inch) Coater, launched commercially in August 2023, positioned as a complete production coater for food-safe barrier coatings on fibre-based packaging (a plastic-replacement application), as well as industrial coatings, viscous adhesive dispensing, and precision agricultural chemical application. Revenue is generated through direct B2B enterprise sales of capital equipment, with technology licensing identified as a secondary revenue stream. Go-to-market is event-driven and field-sales-led, anchored on industry conferences (InPrint Munich, FuturePrint, Specialty Papers Europe, RISE/IFPC, Smithers Moulded Fibre Packaging) and direct enterprise engagement from the Cambridge headquarters.
The company raised nearly £1.5 million in October 2023 from Low Carbon Innovation Fund 2 (managed by Turquoise International), Innovate UK (Future Economy Programme grant), management co-investment, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Business Growth Company, and angel investors. It is led by CEO Guy Newcombe (30+ years in inkjet, formerly of TTP) and Chairman Mark Collins (formerly Commercial Director of TTP Communications), and holds ISO 9001 certification awarded in October 2023. The customer base is industrial manufacturers in sustainable packaging, coatings, adhesives and agricultural chemicals, though no named customer accounts are publicly disclosed.
Archipelago Technology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Archipelago Technology
- Legal name
- Archipelago Technology
- Website
- https://archipelagotechnology.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Archipelago Technology is a Cambridge, UK-based company that develops and sells the Powerdrop™ non-contact inkjet coating system, enabling precision application of viscous liquids for sustainable paper packaging, industrial coatings, adhesives, and agricultural chemicals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Archipelago Technology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Coating Equipment
- NAICS
- Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)
- SIC
- Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Paperboard Laminating & Coating (Extrusion/Film/Metallized) (IMAMAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Flexible Packaging Printing & Decoration (Flexo, Gravure, Digital, Cold Foil) (IMALABAM), Packaging Inks (IMAEAHAH)
Keywords
Where Archipelago Technology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Archipelago Technology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Powerdrop Coater Equipment Sales: Sale of the Powerdrop 200mm (8 inch) coater system to industrial manufacturers. The complete coater is sold as capital equipment for production applications including coating fibre-based packaging, industrial coatings, and adhesives.
- Technology Licensing: The company's Powerdrop and Poweraqua technologies are protected by multiple patents internationally, suggesting potential licensing revenue from technology commercialization.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Archipelago Technology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Archipelago Technology develops and sells the Powerdrop™ non-contact inkjet coating system, with the Powerdrop 200mm (8 inch) Coater as its main commercial product. The technology dispenses viscous liquids as precision microdroplets for industrial coating applications including fibre-based packaging (as a replacement for plastic), industrial coatings, adhesive application, and agricultural chemicals. The system achieves up to 97% transfer efficiency at coating speeds up to 120m/min.
Product overview
Archipelago Technology offers the Powerdrop™ platform as its core technology, comprising an ink jet-based industrial coating system that enables non-contact, high-precision application of viscous liquids. The main product is the Powerdrop 200mm Coater, a complete coating system for production applications. The platform components include the Powerdrop drum (nozzle array), Powerdrop filler, and Powerdrop blower. The related Poweraqua® technology is also part of the intellectual property portfolio. These products enable sustainable packaging solutions by coating paper to replace plastic, waterproof packaging, industrial coatings, agricultural chemical application, and viscous adhesive dispensing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Powerdrop™: A non-contact industrial inkjet coating system that delivers precise micro-litre quantities of viscous liquids with minimal waste. Used for waterproof packaging, industrial coatings, agricultural chemicals, and viscous adhesives.
- Poweraqua®
Products and services
- Powerdrop™ Inkjet Coating System Non-contact, high-efficiency industrial inkjet coating system that dispenses viscous liquids as microdroplets. Enables precise, micro-litre delivery of viscous materials for sustainable packaging, industrial coatings, adhesives, and agricultural chemical applications. Suitable for industrial manufacturers seeking to replace wasteful spraying processes.
- Powerdrop 200mm Coater A complete 200mm (8 inch) coater system for industrial production applications. Coats flat and 3D objects with food-safe barrier coatings, suitable for fibre-based packaging to replace plastic, with coating speeds up to 120m/min and viscosity range of 1-2000 mPas. Used by industrial manufacturers to validate processes before specifying larger systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50% reduction in material waste compared to conventional spraying processes
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Archipelago Technology
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Archipelago Technology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Archipelago Technology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Centre for Assessment LtdminorUKAS accredited certification body (Number 0120) that awarded Archipelago the ISO 9001 quality management systems certification following rigorous assessment.
- Specialty Papers EuropeminorArchipelago was a proud sponsor of Specialty Papers Europe, the leading conference in Europe for specialty paper and packaging industry. Event took place in Vienna.
- InPrint / CCE InternationalminorInPrint Munich Conference held within CCE International Show. Guy Newcombe presented on 'How Megatrends Are Creating Opportunities for Inkjet in Coatings, Packaging and Agriculture'. Company interviewed at InPrint 2023.
- Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)coreLong-term Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) partner. Multiple KTP associates have been embedded in Archipelago including Faisal Manzoor, Lekshmi B.S., and Joanna Duan. KTP programme enables companies to access academic expertise for technology development.
- University College London (UCL)minorUniversity partner in Knowledge Transfer Partnership with QMUL and Archipelago. Researchers such as Rafa Castrejon have collaborated on KTP projects developing Powerdrop technology.
- FuturePrintminorConference organiser and media partner. Archipelago actively participates in FuturePrint events, sponsors sessions, and CEO Guy Newcombe has appeared on FuturePrint podcasts and presented at multiple FuturePrint TECH events on sustainable packaging and inkjet technology.
- The Bessemer SocietyminorLondon-based dinner forum for serial CEOs, founders and entrepreneurs committed to creating successful companies based on technological innovation. CEO Guy Newcombe was interviewed and spoke on bootstrapping topics.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Archipelago Technology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Tonejet: Tonejet is an early-stage UK-based developer of electrostatic inkjet printing technology for industrial applications. Archipelago's Head of Inkjet previously led technology development at Tonejet, making it a comparable emerging inkjet platform with overlapping customer targets.
- Memjet: Memjet develops high-speed, low-cost thermal inkjet printhead technology for industrial and commercial printing. While it targets different printhead physics, it competes for the same industrial-printing customer wallet as Archipelago.
Broad incumbents
- BOBST: BOBST is a global supplier of packaging printing and converting equipment, including gravure and coating lines for flexible packaging and paperboard. It is an incumbent against which Archipelago's Powerdrop coater competes in packaging converters' coating operations.
- HP Industrial Printing: HP Industrial supplies PageWide inkjet presses for packaging, labels, and corrugated applications. It overlaps with Archipelago's sustainable-packaging use case at much larger scale and with established OEM channel reach.
- Fujifilm Dimatix: Fujifilm Dimatix is the industrial inkjet printhead division of Fujifilm, offering piezo-based deposition heads for packaging, decorative, and industrial coating markets. It overlaps with Archipelago's customer base and application scope but at much broader scale.
- Ricoh Industrial Inkjet: Ricoh manufactures industrial inkjet printheads used across packaging, textile, signage, and industrial applications. It represents an incumbent alternative to Archipelago's Powerdrop system for many of the same end-markets.
- Konica Minolta Inkjet: Konica Minolta is a major industrial inkjet printhead manufacturer with significant presence in packaging, textile, and industrial decorative printing. Its heads compete for industrial coating and packaging customers that Archipelago targets.
Direct peers
- Xaar: Xaar is a UK-based manufacturer of industrial inkjet printheads serving packaging, ceramics, and industrial coating applications. It is a direct competitor to Archipelago in industrial inkjet deposition for viscous and functional fluids.
Others
- Voith Paper: Voith is a global supplier of paper and paperboard manufacturing equipment, including size-press and coating applicators for paperboard mills. It serves the same paper and packaging substrate manufacturers that Archipelago's sustainable-packaging proposition targets.
- Sensient Industrial Colors: Sensient supplies specialty inks, dyes, and coatings formulated for industrial inkjet printing. As a chemistry partner, it addresses the same downstream applications as Archipelago (packaging, industrial coatings) and could be a complementary or competing supplier of consumables.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Archipelago Technology social profiles
Digital presenceArchipelago Technology compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Archipelago Technology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Archipelago Technology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Archipelago Technology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Archipelago Technology M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Archipelago Technology
What does Archipelago Technology do?
Archipelago Technology develops and sells the Powerdrop™ non-contact inkjet coating system, with the Powerdrop 200mm (8 inch) Coater as its main commercial product. The technology dispenses viscous liquids as precision microdroplets for industrial coating applications including fibre-based packaging (as a replacement for plastic), industrial coatings, adhesive application, and agricultural chemicals. The system achieves up to 97% transfer efficiency at coating speeds up to 120m/min.
Is Archipelago Technology a public or private company?
Archipelago Technology is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Archipelago Technology founded?
Archipelago Technology was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Archipelago Technology based?
Archipelago Technology is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Archipelago Technology make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Powerdrop Coater Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are technology Licensing.
Who are Archipelago Technology's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Tonejet and Memjet. Broad incumbents are BOBST, HP Industrial Printing, Fujifilm Dimatix, Ricoh Industrial Inkjet and Konica Minolta Inkjet. Xaar is listed as a direct peer. Others are Voith Paper and Sensient Industrial Colors.
Does Archipelago Technology have an API?
No public API is recorded for Archipelago Technology.
What industry is Archipelago Technology in?
Archipelago Technology's product category is Industrial Coating Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAFAL, Paperboard Laminating & Coating (Extrusion/Film/Metallized), with a secondary code of IMALABAM, Flexible Packaging Printing & Decoration (Flexo, Gravure, Digital, Cold Foil). Its NAICS code is 333993 and its SIC code is 3470.