Benny Landa invented commercial digital color printing, sold Indigo to HP for 830 million dollars in 2002, and holds more than 700 patents as one of Israel's most prolific inventors.
The Builders | Olam.business
Benny Landa, born 1946 in Poland and raised in Edmonton, Canada, unveiled the world's first digital color printing press in 1993 through his company Indigo, which he sold to Hewlett-Packard in 2002 for 830 million dollars. He holds more than 700 patents, making him one of Israel's most prolific inventors, and continues to develop nanography printing technology through Landa Digital Printing, which he founded to build on Indigo's legacy.
Who Is Benny Landa?
Benny Landa is an Israeli inventor and entrepreneur widely known as the father of commercial digital printing, who founded Indigo, sold it to HP for 830 million dollars, and continues inventing printing technology today.
At a Glance
| Born | 1946, Poland. Emigrated with family to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where his father developed an early direct-to-paper camera |
| Early career | Co-founded Imtec in 1971, which became Europe's largest micrographics company |
| Indigo | Unveiled the Indigo E-Print 1000, the world's first digital color printing press, at Britain's IPEX print fair in 1993. Listed on Nasdaq in 1994, raising 100 million dollars |
| HP acquisition | Sold Indigo to Hewlett-Packard in 2002 for 830 million dollars, mostly in HP shares, whose value increased over the following years to give Landa a net worth exceeding a billion dollars |
| Landa Digital Printing | Founded to develop nanography, a printing process using ink layers roughly 500 nanometers thick, targeting large-format industrial printing |
| Patents and honors | Holds more than 700 patents worldwide. Named Entrepreneur of the Decade by Israeli business daily Globes; recipient of the imaging industry's Edwin H. Land medal |
How Did Benny Landa Invent Digital Color Printing?
Landa co-founded Imtec in 1971, building it into Europe's largest micrographics company before turning his attention to printing technology. In 1993 he unveiled the Indigo E-Print 1000 at Britain's IPEX print fair, a machine that used liquid ink applied to an electrostatically charged plate and transferred dry to paper, a process he called ElectroInk. The launch created a sensation in the printing industry, introducing short-run, on-demand and variable data printing to the marketplace for the first time, and by the 1990s Indigo presses had become a significant alternative to traditional offset printing.
Indigo listed on Nasdaq in 1994, raising 100 million dollars, with early investors including George Soros, who held a 31.85 percent stake. In 2002 Landa sold Indigo to Hewlett-Packard for 830 million dollars, largely in HP stock, whose appreciation over subsequent years gave Landa a net worth exceeding a billion dollars.
What Is Benny Landa Working on Today?
After selling Indigo, Landa founded The Landa Group to pursue nanotechnology research before returning to printing with Landa Digital Printing, developing nanography, a technique using ink layers roughly 500 nanometers thick for large-scale industrial printing. The company invested more than 1.3 billion dollars over 16 years before its first commercial printers reached the market, and in 2025 Landa announced the sale of 60 large-format printers at the Drupa exhibition in Dusseldorf, the industry's largest printing trade show.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Benny Landa?
Benny Landa is an Israeli inventor known as the father of commercial digital printing, who founded Indigo, sold it to Hewlett-Packard for 830 million dollars in 2002, and holds more than 700 patents.
What was Indigo?
Indigo was the company Benny Landa founded that unveiled the world's first digital color printing press in 1993, later sold to Hewlett-Packard in 2002 for 830 million dollars.
What is Landa Digital Printing?
Landa Digital Printing is Benny Landa's company developing nanography, a printing process using ultra-thin ink layers, for large-format industrial printing applications.
How many patents does Benny Landa hold?
Benny Landa holds more than 700 patents worldwide, making him one of Israel's most prolific inventors.
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מי הוא בני לנדה?
בני לנדה, יליד 1946 בפולין, הציג ב-1993 את מכונת הדפוס הצבעונית הראשונה בעולם דרך חברת Indigo, שאותה מכר ל-HP ב-2002 תמורת 830 מיליון דולר. הוא מחזיק ביותר מ-700 פטנטים בעולם וממשיך לפתח טכנולוגיות דפוס דרך Landa Digital Printing.
The Olam Editorial Team | The Builders / הבונים
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