Startup of the Week: Printt

Startup-of-the-Week

In today’s online-centric world, most people don’t want to buy printers, yet most people still need to print from time to time. The need for a part-time printer has never been an easy task, many relying on their office’s or the local library. However, printing  should not be limited to one or two places, and should be available when you need it, wherever you are – that’s where our Startup of the Week Printt comes in.

Printt was founded by Philip Balkanski and Ruslan and Marat Khazarchiev, who were inspired to start their app during the end of their bachelors degree. A few hours before their dissertation hand-in, Ruslan, Philip and Marat went to printout their dissertations in the university library. Unfortunately, all the printers were out of order, and no one was able to help the three students, meaning they missed the submission deadline.

Determined to make printing easier, the three co-founders then started working on a universal printing service – now known today as Printt. The founders wanted to create “the AirBnB of printing, where businesses will host the printers while users will be able to use the app whenever, wherever they are.”

 

 

Printt is an on-demand printing app, making printing “simpler, smarter and greener”. Through Printt, users simply have to upload the file they want to print, and the app will find the nearest printer they can use. Through the distribution of locally shared printers and a UK-wide print delivery infrastructure, Printt reduces the dependence on personal and office printers.

Printt was initially only available to UK students, however, since its creation, the startup has grown to become the online document printing service it is today, offering affordable prices per page targeted to the general public market. The startup has over 170,000 signups, with 25 million+ pages printed through the app, and local printers in more than 20 major cities across the UK.

An important part of Printt’s policy is to “Printt it – Plantt it”, planting one tree for every 5,000 pages printed. Printt claim: “Our mission has never wavered – give back more than we use. This is why we are a part of the Woodland Carbon Scheme. We plant a tree for every 5,000 pages printed via Printt, and each tree provides 8,500 new sustainable pages whilst absorbing 48 pounds of CO2 per year.”

The app is easy to use and straightforward to sign up to, enabling users to upload, print and collect papers in a number of different ways. Even throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Printt has still been able to offer its services, helping remote workers and social distancers to get printed documents delivered right to their door. The startup have seen a rise in delivery orders, especially from individuals who use the app as a print and post it service.

Printt has become one of the biggest on-demand printing apps in the country, offering accessible, straightforward printing in a more sustainable way.