Intellectual Property – Due Diligence
The Intellectual Property (IP) Assessment provides a quick, cost-effective tool to evaluate any company's IP, identify and assess its market potential, and identify competitive IP. Our proprietary patent interrogation system accesses the world's largest commercially available patent database, with over 98% global coverage.
Our comprehensive Intellectual Property Assessment will:
- Clarify the strength of the company's patents in the global marketplace;
- Pinpoint competitive threats and highlight opportunities;
- Identify licensing opportunities;
- Evaluate the innovation cycle of the patent area;
- Detect new market and product development opportunities; and
- Identify exit and merger opportunities.
Here are some examples of how Next Steps Research assists private equity and venture capital firms in making investment decisions.
Opportunity or wishful thinking?
Company A holds a patent that enables roller-bearing conveyors to operate more smoothly. The company is not capitalizing on the technology, and several managers believe the patented technology is out of date. The CEO thinks the patented technology has multiple opportunities in other markets and seeks investment dollars to expand the business.
When Next Steps Research reviews the patent, we find a large volume of new patents in this IP space, including several new potential vertical markets for Company A's patent. We also find a company that is potentially infringing on Company A's patent by using similar technology in a copier machine. It is possible that this potential infringement can be resolved with a licensing agreement between the two companies, creating a new revenue opportunity for Company A.