Online Event
Startup IP 101: Should Your Startup Be Patent Pending?
Learn whether patent protection belongs in your startup strategy
Date
Aug 05, 2026
Time
06:00 pm - 07:00 pm
Address
Online Event
Most accelerators help you build a pitch deck. The Founder Institute IP Accelerator is the first and only accelerator in the world where every graduating founder leaves patent-pending. Join Chapter Director Kathryn Vatt, former US Patent Examiner, scientist, investor, author of the forthcoming Startup IP Strategy For Dummies (Wiley), and LinkedIn's #1 ranked IP influencer, to learn when patent protection makes sense for your startup, what "patent pending" actually gets you with investors, and how founders quietly give their IP away before they ever raise a dollar.
What You'll Learn:
- Whether your startup should be patent pending — the honest framework a former United States Patent Examiner uses to decide when filing makes sense, and when trade secrets or speed are the smarter play;
- What "patent pending" actually signals to investors — why IP issues kill deals in due diligence, and how early filing decisions determine who owns what, who can sell, and who survives to the next round
- How founders accidentally give their IP away — the pitch deck, demo day, and co-founder mistakes that quietly transfer rights before you realize it
- How to graduate patent-pending from anywhere in the world — inside the Founder Institute IP Accelerator, the first fully virtual, globally open program designed so that every founder in the cohort files before graduation
Additional Resources:
Find more Startup Events, learn about Finding a Co-Founder, or visit our Insights Blog for more startup tips.
About Founder Institute:
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 9,000 entrepreneurs raise over 2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 9,000 entrepreneurs raise over 2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.
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Platinum Partners
Local Partners
Google
Linkedin
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The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our AI-native company-building programs have helped over 9,000 entrepreneurs raise over 2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.
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