Epson has announced it will be hosting its second U.S.-based "Epson Innovation Challenge," offering developers a unique opportunity to partner with a trusted brand with global reach. Held in San Francisco and San Jose, California, and remotely from July 12-20, the event challenges innovators to develop a working MVP (minimum viable product) concept using Epson Connect and an Epson printer or scanner. Applications are open now through July 5.

"Epson is committed to providing an attractive platform for innovative partners to develop new solutions and user experiences on top of Epson's print and scan products that will foster communication and collaboration while utilizing Epson Connect, our secure cloud service," said Junkichi Yoshida, COO, Epson Printing Solutions.

Epson has built a global reputation for user-friendly precision hardware products that can be found anywhere from consumer homes, in education, small and medium businesses to government agencies. This Innovation Challenge gives developers a unique opportunity to integrate the Epson Connect API with their existing products or to build new solutions utilizing the power of the secure cloud service for scanning and printing, with access to millions of users. Sectors that can benefit from such solutions could include health care, PropTech, hybrid work or to provide secure printing and scanning in InsurTech and Fintech.

"The Epson Innovation Challenge is a great opportunity for startups and innovators to rapidly test their creativity and pitch to Epson's top management team, directly engaging with our digital innovation team and winning fantastic prizes," said Jack Rieger, director of digital innovation, Epson America Inc. "We are looking forward to the exchange of ideas in the developer community leveraging the Epson Connect secure cloud service through this hackathon series."

Epson is working with San Francisco-based Foundry 415 Innovation Group, an experienced operator for startup accelerator and corporate innovation programs, to host the event. 

"We had an incredible group of startups in our first U.S. Challenge and are looking forward to this second Innovation Challenge," said Christian Litsch, head of corporate innovation services, Foundry 415. "We're very excited that Mr. Yoshida, COO of Epson Printing Solutions will be in San Francisco for the Demo Day. We've planned an exciting week packed with insightful workshops, including with renowned demo pitch coach Nathan Gold, known to help Shark Tank appearances, TED talks and various startup teams deliver impactful presentations."

The challenge awards include first-, second- and third-place cash and Epson product prizes. Interested developers can find more information on the Epson Innovation Challenge website and can prepare by registering for an Epson Connect account.

In other news, Epson has announced the hybrid SureColor F2270 for both direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-film (DTFilm) printing. Designed to bring customized apparel to the market that holds true to the designer's vision, with minimal waste and environmental impact, the hybrid SureColor F2270 DTG printer incorporates DTFilm printing capabilities and goes beyond traditional garment printing and transfer to a wider variety of materials, including uniquely shaped items.

Epson will be hosting a live demonstration of the new SureColor F2270 at 10 a.m. Pacific on Thursday, June 22. To register, click here.

"The SureColor F2270 was purpose-built with an eye toward what's happening in the industry," said Tim Check, senior product manager for professional imaging, Epson America Inc. "Specifically, we wanted to address the needs of print shops transitioning from mass production to producing what's needed. With its ability to produce high-quality output with great reliability and consistency, print shops can now create premium-quality products, designed to last years. This also results in less waste from the print process to the garment wearability."

Purpose-built for both DTG and DTFilm printing, the SureColor F2270 hybrid printer features a new PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead with Nozzle Verification Technology, and next-generation UltraChrome DG2 ink to deliver vibrant colors and incredible detail at impressive speeds — up to 20% faster when printing on dark garments. The printer's cartridge-free bulk ink pack system helps reduce ink replacement frequency. Featuring automatic garment thickness adjustment, it measures thickness using multiple sensors during the loading process to create a garment height profile and will automatically adjust the printhead and optimize print quality without user intervention to help increase productivity and ensure high-quality output.

Additional features designed to bring a new level of versatility and efficiency to the garment decorator, promotional product and e-commerce fulfillment industries, include:

• Low maintenance — Dedicated cleaning solution channels and fabric head wiper system help reduce downtime
• Intuitive design — Flattop work surface can hold items; large 4.3-inch touch-screen interface with ergonomically placed control buttons
• Easy-to-use, quick-load platen — Assists with garment alignment and helps reduce loading times
• Intuitive, easy-to-learn workflow — Epson Garment Creator 2 software features improved processing time and high-resolution processing for detailed and vibrant prints
• Epson Cloud Solution PORT2 — Provides live production monitoring of your printer fleet status, including production rates and printer utilization

"Ultimately, prints done right the first time saves times, money and physical resources, and that's the goal with the new SureColor F2270," Check said.

The SureColor F2270 will be available in August 2023 through Epson Authorized Professional Imaging Resellers with an estimated MSRP of $18,995. The printer is designed for use exclusively with Epson ink packs and includes a one-year limited warranty with on-site service. Extended service plans are available.