Patent strategies for biotech startup companies

Introduction

A startup company is defined as a new venture created to bring new products or services to the market in conditions of great uncertainty. The objective of a startup is to find a repeatable and scalable business model. At the beginning of its life, a startup’s main value is its intellectual property (1). Therefore, founders must be aware of the importance of having an IP strategy.

In order to compete in a global market, a company must adopt an adequate industrial property protection strategy. This entails a careful evaluation of which innovations to patent and which to keep as trade secrets.