From Prototype to Protected: IP Strategy for Founders | Building Your IP Moat Before You Raise (Hybrid)

Can I Copy You by Friday? Building Your IP Moat Before You Raise

Can you explain what makes your company hard to copy? Investors will ask, and for hardware and deep tech founders, the answer usually comes down to intellectual property.

In this webinar, Neha Bahl, Head of Strategy at Allium IP, explains how founders can identify their IP moat and turn it into a defensible, fundable story. She’ll cover what’s worth protecting (and what isn’t), when to file, and the common mistakes that cost founders their IP, such as pitching or demoing before filing, or building without clear ownership of what you’ve created.

What we’ll cover:

Why IP is a valuation lever, not paperwork

Your IP stack: patents, trademarks and trade secrets, built on copyright and contracts

How to find and build your IP moat, and sum it up in one sentence for investors

Lessons from Shopify and BlackBerry on two very different kinds of moat

When to protect your IP at each stage, from idea to scale

IP strategy for AI-enabled startups

What investors look for in your IP story

Common mistakes to avoid

Non-dilutive IP funding in Canada, including IPON, Elevate IP and IP Assist

Who should attend:

Founders and technical co-founders preparing to raise, launch or scale, especially in hardware, semiconductors, medtech, cleantech and other deep tech.

Speaker Information:

Neha Bahl is Head of Strategy at Allium IP and former CEO of the Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC). An angel investor and ecosystem builder with 15+ years in strategy, innovation and business development, she helps early-stage founders turn intellectual property into a business asset by protecting their innovations, strengthening their fundraising story and preparing for global growth.

Note:

This is a hybrid event. If you registered for in-person attendance, we will meet you at ventureLAB Innovation Space. If you registered for online attendance, join the online room here.

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About ventureLAB

ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and deep tech companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in the country. Its initiatives in capital raising, talent retention, technology and IP commercialization, and customer acquisition have helped thousands of companies create over 7,800 jobs and raise more than $530 million in investment capital. ventureLAB powers hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada’s knowledge-based economy.

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