Put talent to work.
The vision is a team combining AI, software, robotics and fabrication with design, storytelling, leadership and human judgment.
Introducing Tink Town · In developmentBring the problem.
Bring the problem.
Let’s figure it out.
A new kind of place where talented people, powerful tools and everyday problems meet. A sister brand of River Tech, developed by River Tech LLC.
The big ideaSerious capability.
Serious capability.
A welcoming place.
Imagine a place where coffee and conversation sit alongside robotics, design, fabrication and creative work.
A business owner brings in a problem. A designer sketches an approach. Someone at the next table knows how to build it. A small conversation becomes a useful project.
Tink Town is being developed around that possibility: a place people want to spend time, and a business that helps them get things done.
Three ways to belongWork here. Hang out here.
01 / WORK HERE 02 / HANG OUT HERE 03 / BRING US PROBLEMS
Work here. Hang out here.
Bring us problems.
Let good things meet.
Coffee, conversation, shared tools and creative work. A welcoming place where people can discover what others are making.
Make progress together.
A practical starting point for a business, household or inventor with something to improve, automate, repair or create.
From a real question to useful work
What could we make possible?
Three examples of the work Tink Town is being developed to do. These are illustrative projects, not completed client case studies.
Illustrative project / Design & fabrication
“Can you help us make this?”
- Start with
- A sketch, broken part or digital model. Work through dimensions, material and the job it must do.
- Work toward
- A design and prototype you can test: a bracket, fixture, enclosure, sign or useful custom part.
Illustrative project / AI & automation
“There has to be a better way.”
- Start with
- One repeated task: collecting enquiries, preparing quotes, moving information or following up.
- Work toward
- A small workflow your team can review and test before wider use. Compare time, quality and effort.
Illustrative project / Creative & print
“Our work deserves a better story.”
- Start with
- Your audience, message and existing website or marketing materials.
- Work toward
- A clearer visual identity across a website, video, flyers, posters or signs. Design and production can work together.
The place matters, tooCome for a coffee.
Come for a coffee.
Leave with a possibility.
A welcoming third place where conversation, useful work and new ideas have room to meet.
The plan brings a café and small stage together with maker supplies, workspaces and a separated production workshop. A business meeting could become a prototype. An evening gathering could become a friendship.
Discover Dream BigGatherCafé + small stageCoffee, conversation, events
DiscoverMaker shopRobotics & modelling supplies
CreateWork togetherDesign, ideas & collaboration
MakeProduction workshopFabrication, print & prototypes
Concept zones · not an architectural floor plan
The River Tech connectionFrom learning
From learning
to contribution.
River Tech and Tink Town share a belief in human capability. We see opportunities to connect students and graduates with practical projects, experienced people and meaningful work.
School workshops, equipment access and career pathways are possibilities we are exploring with participating school operators.
Explore the partnership visionThe next chapterStart in Idaho.
Start in Idaho.
Learn what can grow.
The first Tink Town is intended to test the model: what people need, what creates value and what makes the place worth returning to.
We are interested in conversations with business owners, skilled collaborators, potential partners and investors who see the opportunity.
Tink Town is a developing concept. A location, opening date, service menu and hiring program have not been announced.
A practical path to openingStart small.
Start small.
Build something big.
We do not need every machine—or a 7,000-square-foot building—to begin. Start with useful services. Add space and equipment as the work grows.
The ambition grows. The foundation stays.
Start at the base. Select a phase to explore.
Demand first.
Investment follows.
Proposed launch plan · timing follows demandInvestment follows.
Buy, lease or outsource according to the work—not the wish list.
Start with talent.
Put it to work.
The first Tink Town can be a small team helping real clients. We can build relationships and earn revenue before taking on a large lease or a full workshop.
- AI & agentsImprove workflows, automate repeated tasks and help staff use AI well.
- Creative & printBuild websites, make videos and design marketing materials. Use compact professional printing where practical; outsource larger or specialist orders.
- People & gatheringsOffer practical training, workshops, events and purpose coaching through online sessions, client visits and booked venues.
The space
Work from home, a small office or retail unit, client sites, or permitted shared spaces. Café meetings and bookable library rooms could support suitable conversations and workshops.
The equipment
Existing computers and software first. Add a compact professional printer and finishing tools only when orders justify them. Use production partners for work beyond our equipment.
Ready for the next phase when
Repeat paying clients, useful workshop demand and a clear case that a small permanent space would improve delivery.
Could we start at the school?
One option to explore: separately agreed use of the school after hours—for example, 2:30–5:00 p.m. This would need the school operator’s approval, a separate part-time lease or use agreement, and arrangements that fit school activities.
What the funding could make possible
Bring an early project$20,000–$40,000
Estimated launch funding · 2026 USD
Launch a founder-led AI, creative and training service, with modest printing capability and three months of operating cash.
A $30,000 example$18,000 to set up + $12,000 operating reserve
See the example budget
| Computers, audiovisual tools and initial software setup | $6,000 |
|---|---|
| Compact printing and finishing equipment | $5,000 |
| Business setup, insurance deposits and shared-space setup | $2,500 |
| Initial materials, launch samples and marketing | $1,500 |
| Contingency, freight and tax allowance | $3,000 |
| Setup subtotal | $18,000 |
| Three months of operating cash | $12,000 |
| Example funding total | $30,000 |
| Contract help, consumables and outsourced production | $2,000 |
|---|---|
| Software and hosting | $500 |
| Shared workspace and event rooms | $500 |
| Insurance and administration | $500 |
| Marketing, travel and miscellaneous | $500 |
| Monthly total, before customer receipts | $4,000 |
Give the work
a place to gather.
A modest public-facing home adds continuity: somewhere to meet clients, run workshops, collect orders and build a community around useful work.
- A coffee cornerA small counter and seating area for conversation and client meetings, with the appropriate venue approvals.
- A few useful machinesProfessional print and finishing, desktop 3D printers, and selected tools chosen around the work customers actually request.
- A working communityShared worktables, a small maker-supply display, training sessions and regular gatherings. Continue the Phase 1 services.
The space
A smaller retail or commercial space with room for a coffee corner, worktables, clean printing, storage and a suitable separated machine area. The layout follows the equipment we choose.
The equipment
Add capability one purchase or lease at a time. Start with frequently requested print and prototype work; keep outsourcing specialist fabrication.
Ready for the next phase when
Reliable repeat orders, a workable operating margin and enough demand to support more equipment, specialist staff and a larger lease.
How to read this size estimate
This is a working size range, not a fixed requirement. A well-arranged smaller space may work; selected machines and venue requirements determine the fit.
What the funding could make possible
Explore a first location$100,000–$200,000
Estimated additional funding at this phase · 2026 USD
Open an approximately 2,000 sq ft hub with a coffee corner, worktables, upgraded print production, a small 3D-printer fleet and three months of operating cash.
A $150,000 example$105,000 to set up + $45,000 operating reserve
See the example budget
| Lease deposits and light fit-out of suitable premises | $35,000 |
|---|---|
| Additional printing, finishing and 3D equipment | $30,000 |
| Coffee corner, furniture, worktables and starter stock | $20,000 |
| Move-in, professional fees and launch setup | $10,000 |
| Contingency, freight and tax allowance | $10,000 |
| Setup subtotal | $105,000 |
| Three months of operating cash | $45,000 |
| Example funding total | $150,000 |
| Rent, building charges and utilities | $5,500 |
|---|---|
| Staff, payroll costs and contract support | $6,000 |
| Software, insurance and administration | $1,500 |
| Materials and outsourced production | $2,000 |
| Monthly total, before customer receipts | $15,000 |
Scale the capability.
Keep the community.
Grow toward the Tink Town we have been imagining: a café, creative workplace, maker shop and production workshop under one roof. Keep the earlier services and add capacity where it earns its place.
- A fuller community hubA café and kitchen, small performance stage, workshops, events and retail for robotics and making supplies.
- Expanded productionGrow into laser cutting, CNC routing or milling, metal bending and other fabrication as the orders, skills and premises support them.
- Bigger problems, one teamConnect design, AI, marketing, print and fabrication so clients can bring an idea and work toward a useful result in one place.
The space
About 5,000 sq ft could accommodate a selected, compact mix. Our detailed 6,700 sq ft example shows a fuller arrangement; a wider machine range or more public space may need more room.
The equipment
The full equipment list is a direction for growth, not a day-one shopping list. Larger industrial machines—including a waterjet—remain separate decisions based on demand, installation costs and safe operation.
The rule for further growth
Expand further only when customer demand and operating results support the next addition. A successful smaller Tink Town can remain smaller.
How to read this size estimate
The earlier 7,500–9,000 sq ft preferred range allows more room for the fuller concept. It is not a condition for starting Tink Town.
What the funding could make possible
Explore the fuller space plan$350,000–$800,000
Estimated additional funding at this phase · 2026 USD
Expand into approximately 6,000 sq ft with a café/kitchen, stage, maker retail and a selected fabrication workshop, plus three months of operating cash.
A $600,000 example$420,000 to set up + $180,000 operating reserve
See the example budget
| Lease deposits, fit-out, power, extraction and separations | $130,000 |
|---|---|
| Additional fabrication, print and 3D equipment | $140,000 |
| Café/kitchen equipment, stage and furnishings | $45,000 |
| Moving, professional fees, training and added stock | $30,000 |
| Contingency, freight and tax allowance | $75,000 |
| Setup subtotal | $420,000 |
| Three months of operating cash | $180,000 |
| Example funding total | $600,000 |
| Rent, building charges and utilities | $18,000 |
|---|---|
| Staff, payroll costs and contract support | $30,000 |
| Materials, outsourced work and machine upkeep | $8,000 |
| Insurance, software and administration | $4,000 |
| Monthly total, before customer receipts | $60,000 |
How we estimated the costs
Planning estimates as of October 24, 2026. The ranges are our allowances for three different scales of operation, informed by public equipment prices and local asking rents. They are not supplier or construction quotes.
- Additional funding, not cumulative totals. Phase 2 and Phase 3 assume useful earlier equipment stays in use; the equipment lines fund additions. The three example steps total $780,000 if completed in sequence. Future profits, landlord contributions or contributed equipment could reduce outside cash needed.
- Founder-led at first. Phase 1 allows flexible contract support; Phase 2 allows a modest mix of staff and contractors; Phase 3 allows a larger production/café team. Full founder salaries are excluded. Staffing and owner compensation need a separate operating plan before commitments.
- Three-month reserve. Each example includes three months of estimated gross operating costs before customer receipts. This is a cash cushion, not a prediction of break-even. Financing payments are excluded and would increase cash needs.
- Lease suitable premises. Phase 2 assumes light alterations to an approximately 2,000 sq ft unit. Phase 3 assumes about 6,000 sq ft with a workable shell. Major structural work, unusual fire or utility upgrades, or a full restaurant build could exceed these ranges. No building purchase is included.
- Selected machines, not every machine. Phase 3 includes a practical mix of fabrication and print equipment. A full industrial fiber-laser/waterjet line is outside this example. Shipping and purchase taxes are allowances within contingency; each quote still needs installed-cost review.
Price anchors: Brother lists its MFC-L8905CDW at $769.99, an office-class starting point rather than a full print-shop press. ShopBot lists its Desktop MAX CNC from $12,548, before relevant extras and installation. Post Falls listings include asking rents around $15–$32 per sq ft per year; building charges, utilities and permitted uses vary. These examples show why installed equipment and premises budgets are larger than a machine’s advertised price.
These phases describe how we could launch and grow. Premises, services, equipment and opening dates are still being developed.