EUIPO Webinar: Find a Backer for your Business
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.
