The spectacular growth of the European startup ecosystem in recent years has been a major boost for the European economy. Startups are increasingly seen as engines of economic growth, with strong potential
to address the key European challenges of digitalisation, sustainability and industry competitiveness through innovation. Nevertheless, Europe still faces significant challenges in bridging its funding gap with respect to the US.
This study examines the role of intellectual property (IP) rights ‒ specifically patents and trade marks ‒ in facilitating access to finance for European startups. To this end, it assesses the links between the filing of IPRs by startup firms and their success in raising venture capital (VC), as well as the signalling power of patents and trade marks as predictors of successful exit strategies for investors.
The study can be found on the website of the European Patentoffice.