E Ink Invests in Soofa, Maker of Solar-Powered Epaper Kiosks
2026-11-12 · via AV Magazine
E Ink has taken a strategic investment stake in Soofa, a company that installs and operates solar-powered epaper kiosks in public spaces across more than 60 US cities. The deal pairs E Ink's display panels with Soofa's existing network of community and advertising kiosks, and according to the companies it will support wider deployment of E Ink's 75-inch Kaleido Outdoor colour epaper displays.
For operators watching the outdoor DOOH space, this is notable less for the size of the investment, which the release does not disclose, and more for what it signals about E Ink's strategy. The company says this is its first investment in a provider of a complete digital signage solution, rather than in component makers or niche applications. That suggests E Ink wants a direct foothold in how its panels actually get deployed and monetized in the field, not just a supplier relationship.
Soofa's kiosks, in place since the company was founded in 2014, already carry transit updates, local news, weather and advertising in shared public spaces. E Ink's pitch is that its reflective, paper-like displays stay legible in direct sunlight and draw little power, which makes solar operation genuinely workable in a way that backlit LCD or LED panels generally do not. That combination of sunlight readability and low energy draw is the whole rationale for epaper in outdoor furniture and transit signage, where running mains power to every kiosk is often impractical or costly.
What this means for the market
For municipalities and transit agencies, this gives Soofa a stronger hardware backer as it expands its kiosk footprint, potentially making the case to more cities that solar-powered epaper street furniture is a lower-maintenance alternative to conventional backlit digital signage. For DOOH advertisers, it reinforces Soofa's network as a channel built around community information with advertising layered on top, rather than an ad-first network with civic messaging as an afterthought.
The announcement is thin on specifics an operator would want: there is no mention of deployment numbers, no pricing, no timeline for rolling out the 75-inch Kaleido Outdoor panels into Soofa's existing kiosk base, and no detail on how many of Soofa's current installations already use E Ink displays versus other technology. E Ink frames the deal partly through a shared MIT Media Lab lineage with Soofa's founders, which is a relationship point rather than a product one.
E Ink says it has set up investment funds specifically to back companies building products around its display technology, with sustainability as a stated focus. The Soofa deal fits that pattern: capital plus display expertise aimed at expanding where and how epaper gets used, in this case for outdoor public signage that runs on solar power rather than grid electricity.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from AV Magazine for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
By AV Magazine in Business , Digital Signage and DOOH , US&Canada November 11, 2026 0
The strategic partnership combines E Ink’s display technology with Soofa’s advertising operations and community relationships to set a foundation for expanding sustainable outdoor signage.
E Ink has announced a strategic partnership and investment in Soofa, which installs and operates solar-powered epaper kiosks in public spaces.
The partnership will support the adoption of E Ink’s 75-inch Kaleido Outdoor colour epaper displays, expanding Soofa’s options for community messaging and DOOH advertising.
The investment marks E Ink’s first in a company providing a complete digital signage solution and broadens its portfolio across the signage ecosystem.
E Ink has established investment funds to support innovative companies developing products and services that use its technologies to address practical needs and advance sustainability.
By combining capital with its display expertise, E Ink helps companies bring new applications to market and therefore expand the epaper ecosystem.
Founded in 2014, Soofa has kiosks that bring transit updates, local news, weather and advertising into shared public spaces across more than 60 US cities.
E Ink technology is particularly suited to the kiosks, as its paper-like displays are legible in direct sunlight, while its low power consumption makes solar-powered operation practical.
Johnson Lee, chairman and chief executive of E Ink, said: “Soofa shows how E Ink technology can make useful information more accessible while keeping energy consumption low.
“Our shared MIT Media Lab roots and longstanding collaboration make this investment especially meaningful.
“We are pleased to support Soofa’s next stage of growth and help bring sustainable community signage to more neighborhoods.”