Long-term print entrepreneur and founder of D2P is seeking major investment for a new online print buying system he claims will revolutionize the way the industry buys and sells print.
Billing PeoplePRINT as a print-buying comparison site along the lines of 'Wotif' for accommodation, D2P founder, John Weichard, has floated the venture through his information website. Unabashedly searching for investors, he believes his system stands to become a significant force in the $13 billion Australian printing industry within 18 months.
The Melbourne-based Weichard has already enlisted Ernst & Young to secure a $1.5 million grant from Commercialisation Australia for PeoplePRINT. This money will need to be matched dollar for dollar. Weichard says his established website creation business, D2P, has committed $300,000, which leaves another $1.2 million to raise.
"We have some heavy hitters from the industry already engaged with serious commitment. Once we have the finances in place the system will be up and running within three months," he said.
In his description of the system he states, Using PeoplePRINT, purchasers of print will be able to search for, compare, order from and deliver jobs to printers as easily as they have come to expect sourcing goods online from other industries. The sophisticated cloud based processing of the artwork by PeoplePRINT’s completely digital and uniform workflow will enable printers to automate the processing of artwork. This delivers huge savings and a substantial competitive advantage.
There is no doubt the budding venture has high hopes. According to Weichard the ultimate aim is to make PeoplePRINT the largest brand in printing in Australia before taking it global and listing on the NASDAQ.