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Investors and buyers will ask what your IP is worth. There are three ways to answer, cost, market, and income, and each can give a different number. Here’s how each works and when each one applies.
A founder filed a DIY provisional patent application, started selling his product, and discovered too late that his thin disclosure left him with no patent options. Here’s how to avoid the same trap.
Filing a patent at the right time can strengthen your fundraise. This post maps exactly when to file relative to demo days, investor meetings, and term sheets.
Most startup founders assume they own their code because they paid for it. Without the right contracts and registrations, that’s not always true. Here’s what to know.
Investors look at a predictable set of IP items before they invest. Here’s what IP due diligence covers at each funding stage and how to get ready for it.
You don’t need a granted patent to raise venture capital, but you do need a plan. Here’s what investors actually look for and how to get your IP in order before fundraising.
Duracell invented the pink battery bunny in 1973 but lost U.S. trademark rights to Energizer after a lapsed filing. The full story, plus a maintenance checklist so it doesn’t happen to your brand.
Patents can nearly double your startup’s valuation at the angel stage. Here’s what the data shows and how to use patent strategy to strengthen your fundraising position.
A stage-by-stage guide to patent strategy for pre-seed and seed startups, covering provisionals, non-provisionals, trade secrets, budgeting, and the filing deadlines you can’t afford to miss.
Not sure whether to patent your innovation or protect it as a trade secret? Here’s a practical framework to help you decide, plus when a hybrid approach makes the most sense.
If you're wondering how much does a trademark cost, you're asking the right question at the right time. You've got a brand name you believe in, and...
If you've built something new and you're thinking about patent protection, one of the first questions that comes up is whether to file a provisional...
If you’ve built something new, whether it’s a product, a tool, or a process, you’ve probably wondered whether you can patent it. It’s one of the...
If you're applying for a trademark, one of the requirements that catches people off guard is the specimen. The USPTO requires you to submit a...
There can be many reasons why the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) might reject your trademark application. One of the most common is...
Applying for a trademark with the USPTO is one of the smartest moves you can make for your business. But the application process isn't always...
If you're building a business, one of the smartest things you can do early on is understand how intellectual property (IP) protection works. IP is...
Before you invest time and money into building a brand around a specific name or logo, you need to know whether it's actually available. That's what...
People use "brand" and "trademark" interchangeably all the time, but they're not the same thing. Understanding the difference matters because it...
