Unlocking expressive freedom for serious digital artists with Wacom's latest rotation-sensitive pen—bringing the feel of traditional tools to digital creation.
TOKYO, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Wacom today announced the Wacom Art Pen 2, a rotation-sensitive pen designed for digital artists and creative professionals seeking precise, expressive control in their digital workflows.
Expressive Control with Barrel Rotation
Building on the legacy of the original Wacom Art Pen (KP701E), the new Wacom Art Pen 2 continues to offer 360° barrel rotation and brings this capability into Wacom's latest pen technology. With compatible brushes, pens, and cursors, it can respond not only to pressure and tilt but also to the pen's rotational angle (when used with supported software). The Wacom Art Pen 2 enables artists to vary the thickness and character of their lines simply by rotating the pen in their hand—much like how traditional artists adjust the angle of a pencil, flat brush, felt marker, or calligraphy pen to achieve different expressive effects. This intuitive control allows for a more natural and dynamic drawing experience that closely mirrors the versatility of familiar traditional tools.
"For years, the Wacom Art Pen has been cherished by artists for its unique feel and expressive possibilities. With Wacom Art Pen 2, we've listened to our passionate community and refined what they love, bringing that familiar experience into our latest pen technology," said Koji Yano, Senior Vice President, Creative Experience Unit at Wacom. "By integrating these capabilities into our current devices, we aim to give creators even more freedom to bring their vision to life."
Smart Design for Artists
The Wacom Art Pen 2 features Wacom's battery-free EMR technology and is equipped with three pen buttons, helping streamline workflow and minimize interruptions. With up to 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, the pen delivers smooth, precise control from delicate sketches to bold, dynamic strokes. A built-in nib holder inside the pen barrel stores three spare nibs, so artists can quickly replace tips whenever needed.
New Nib Options for Artistic Feel
Artists can choose from three newly developed nib types—Art Pen 2 Carbon Shaft POM Nibs, Art Pen 2 POM Nibs, and Art Pen 2 Felt Nibs—each engineered to deliver a distinct drawing feel. The pen ships with an Art Pen 2 Carbon Shaft POM nib installed, and these nibs are exclusive to Wacom Art Pen 2 and are not interchangeable with Wacom Pro Pen 3 nibs.
Compatibility
Wacom Art Pen 2 is compatible with Wacom MovinkPad Pro 14, Wacom Intuos Pro (PTK470 / PTK670 / PTK870), Wacom Cintiq 16 (DTK168), Wacom Cintiq 24 (DTK246), and Wacom Cintiq 24 touch (DTH246). Wacom Cintiq Pro (DTH172 / DTH227 / DTH271) will be supported later this year.
Availability
The Wacom Art Pen 2 will be available soon.
Note: Unlike the Wacom Pro Pen 3, the Wacom Art Pen 2 does not support interchangeable button plates, grips or balance weights for customizing the pen's grip or center of gravity.
About Wacom
Wacom is a global leader in digital pen solutions, offering intuitive tools for writing and drawing. Our products are trusted across creative fields — from studios and classrooms to healthcare — supporting students and professionals alike. Wacom pen technologies also power many pen-enabled PCs, tablets, and phones through partnerships with top tech brands.
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Wacom Unveils Wacom Art Pen 2: Next-Generation Pen with 360° Barrel Rotation for Digital Artists
Starlight Investments and the National Housing Bank Unite to Accelerate Rental Housing; Bank's phased investment of £100 million advances 6,000‑home pipeline through Starlight's platform
TORONTO, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Starlight Investments has announced that the National Housing Bank, a Homes England company, has joined as a cornerstone investor in the Starlight UK Build-to-Rent (BTR) Fund II, supporting the acceleration of new rental home delivery across England. This investment reflects a shared commitment to expanding the supply of rental housing and enabling growth in places where new homes are needed most.
Homes England, the government's housing and regeneration agency, plays a central national role in addressing England's housing challenges, using its land, funding and expertise to unlock opportunities for development and support local leaders in bringing forward sustainable, well-designed communities. This equity investment is among the first made through Homes England's newly established National Housing Bank – the government's new vehicle for long‑term place‑shaping and housing investment. Operating as part of Homes England, the Bank deploys flexible, government‑backed capital across funds, platforms and partnerships to unlock housing and regeneration projects, crowding in private capital and accelerating delivery at scale.
Established in 2020, Starlight's UK residential asset management platform is dedicated to the BTR segment, with a vision to deliver thousands of new homes across major regional cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds and key London Commuter Belt markets experiencing pronounced rental housing undersupply. With a UK portfolio of 4,000 homes and £1.1 billion in assets under management, Starlight is committed to supporting housing targets across the region and providing best-in-class rental options backed by strong operational stewardship. In executing its UK program, Starlight brings over three decades of global investment and asset management expertise in the multi-family sector. Starlight's established track record as an experienced, professional BTR operator was a key factor in Homes England's decision to align with the company's growing UK platform.
Building on the success of Starlight's first UK BTR fund, Fund II continues the company's long-term strategy of developing and operating professionally managed rental housing in structurally undersupplied markets. Starlight's disciplined investment approach also supports broader economic growth through sustained investment, job creation, regeneration, and the delivery of high-quality rental communities located close to employment, education, and transit. Homes England's investment, in addition to significant commitments from a diverse base of global institutional investors, enables the delivery of 6,000 much-needed homes through Starlight's Fund II platform.
Daniel Drimmer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Starlight Investments, said: "Starlight's UK residential strategy is rooted in responsible, long-term investment and a commitment to providing high-quality rental options for residents. Building on our expanding UK portfolio, this partnership marks an important milestone as we continue to grow our BTR platform and align private investment with outcomes that benefit local communities."
Simon Century, Chief Executive Officer, National Housing Bank, said: "This is exactly the kind of investment – made through the government's National Housing Bank – that will help to transform England's housing market. Supporting international capital to commit to building thousands of new homes in towns and cities across the country is a hugely encouraging sign that England's residential market is open for business and able to attract institutional investment to support growth. Starlight's approach to development, professional management and institutional ownership of mid-market rental housing aligns with our place-based priorities. We welcome this partnership as part of our efforts to help communities access the homes they need."
About Starlight Investments
Starlight Investments is a leading global real estate investment and asset management firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A privately held owner, developer and asset manager of over 70,000 multi-residential suites and over 7 million square feet of commercial property space with CAD $30 billion AUM, Starlight offers a range of investment vehicles across various real estate strategies. Starlight's guiding mission is to balance its tenure with visionary curiosity to create positive impact for investors and communities alike. At Starlight, we invest with impact.
Learn more at www.starlightinvest.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.
About Homes England
Homes England is the government's housing and regeneration agency. Together with their partners, they drive the creation of more affordable, quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and grow.
They make this happen by working with thousands of organisations of all sizes, using their powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more quality homes built.
Learn more about them: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-england/about
National Housing Bank
The National Housing Bank, a Homes England company, delivers purpose-led finance for housing delivery. It aims to break down barriers to investment at scale and accelerate the delivery and regeneration of places.
Over the next decade, it will invest up to £16 billion through debt, equity, and guarantee products, stepping in where the market cannot.
The NHB aims to attract over £50 billion of private capital, enabling more homes, stronger places and thriving, sustainable communities.
The bank offers partners tailored and blended finance solutions alongside the full range of Homes England support. Its delegations and flexible approach means it can respond with agility to shifting market conditions, ensuring investment reaches the areas of greatest need.
Backed by government and driven by purpose, the National Housing Bank brings long-term investment for partners, to transform places and boost economic growth across England.
Contacts: Raj Mehta, President, Global Markets, +1-647-725-0498, rmehta@starlightinvest.com; Jonnie Milich, Head, UK Residential, +44-7930-373-945, jmilich@starlightinvest.com; Talia Schwebel, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, media@starlightinvest.com; Homes England, 0207-874-8262, media@homesengland.gov.uk
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Homes England's National Housing Bank Makes Significant Cornerstone Equity Investment in Starlight UK Build-to-Rent Fund II
