Todd Basile

For robotics companies, it is essential to have a strategic patent portfolio that protects and monetizes company innovations. For early-stage companies, a strong patent portfolio is key to growth and survival and can help secure venture capital (VC) or private equity (PE) funding. For large companies, the patent portfolio protects market share, and can facilitate partnership and cross-licensing opportunities. Before securing a seed, VC, PE investment, or partnership opportunities, due diligence will be required, especially around intellectual property.

In this session, a panel of leading robotics executives and investors will discuss practical strategies to build a strategic and robust patent portfolio. Panelists will address the following key points:

• Advantages of a strong patent portfolio, including establishing a competitive advantage in the marketplace, attracting funding, and gaining leverage for collaborations with other companies,
• Strategies for developing a strategic patent portfolio, including offensive and defensive strategies, taking advantages of USPTO accelerated prosecution programs, and strategies for foreign filing,
• Knowledge of the patent landscape can help companies focus on product development and patent strategy, and identify potential infringement issues,
• Best practices to identify and capture innovations, and
• What to expect during IP due diligence, as an investor, acquirer or target.