A useful webinar by the EUIPO entitled “Find a Backer for your Business” was held today, on 30 November 2021. It brought together various stakeholders such as the EUIPO, Invest Europe and Butterfly Ventures.

The webinar’s objectives were to:

• learn about SMEs’ access to finance and available funding
• understand how IP is taken into account by backers when deciding whether to invest in a venture
• learn about the EUIPO’s initiatives to support SMEs commencing on their IP journey

Key takeaways for SMEs include:

• private equity and venture capital are alternative sources of funding for SMEs (although they are not for everyone)
• investors care about an SME’s IP when deciding whether or not to invest
• EU firms that are IPR-owners have, on average, 20.2% higher revenue
• SMEs with prior IPR activities are more likely to grow than other SMEs
• SMEs with bundles of IPRs (trade marks, patents and designs) are more likely to grow

The original presentation can be found here: https://euipo.blumm.it/uploads/originals/webinar/20211130/backer.pdf

We are always happy to advise SMEs on how best to protect their intellectual property rights and, where this is possible, assist with applications for funding.