In startup ecosystems, one of the most essential topics is how to outperform rivals in the competition for venture capital funding. According to a recent study, startups’ intellectual property rights should receive extra consideration if they hope to accelerate their success.

Namely, startups that file applications for registered IP rights, such as patents, trademarks, and designs, have a higher chance of receiving funding from VC funds and providing favorable exit outcomes for their investors, according to a recent joint study conducted by the European Patent Office and the European Union Intellectual Property Office.

The study, published last October, profiles several types of startups and offers information regarding trends in their patent and/or trademark applications. The fact is that in some cases the number of new incomes is on a huge increase (compared to previous years). 

Currently, the biotechnology sphere still dominates, and the dominance of the AI ​​sphere is expected (especially when it comes to patent applications):

Biotech start-ups:

• patent applications – 48% of start-ups
• trademark applications – 47% of start-ups

Health care, manufacturing and science and engineering start-ups:

• patent applications – over 20% of start-ups
• trademark applications – over 35% of start-ups

AI startups:

• patent applications – 12% of start-ups

One of the study’s conclusions is that startups that filed both trademark and patent applications had the greatest impact, with 10.2 and 3.5 odds increases in the seed and early stages, respectively.

If you are a startup operating in Serbia and you are interested in how to protect and register intellectual property rights in the domestic ecosystem, thereby increasing your chances of financing, you can contact us at office@vujinovicpartners.rs.