Patent Workshops: Building IP Know-How for Early-Stage Ventures

Over the past weeks, >>venture>> has run a three-part workshop series on intellectual property, supporting founders and innovators in navigating patents and IP strategy at different stages of their venture journey.

The series began with an online seminar offering a basic introduction to patents, covering core concepts such as what can be protected, how patents work, and why IP matters for startups. This session provided a solid foundation for participants new to the topic.

The second online session focused specifically on software startups and their unique IP challenges. Participants explored questions around software patents, alternative protection strategies, and how to think about IP in data-driven and digital business models.

The third workshop took place onsite at ETH Zurich and shifted from theory to practice. Led by an expert from the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, this hands-on patent search workshop guided participants through real patent databases, search strategies, and result interpretation. Attendees conducted searches related to their own ideas and gained practical experience in assessing freedom to operate.

Following the strong interest in these sessions, one final Patent Search Workshop will take place Thursday February 5 in Lausanne, offering another opportunity to gain practical IP insights for technology-driven ventures.