European startups that file for patents or trademarks in early stages are up to ~10.2 times more likely to secure investor funding than those without such rights¹.  Yet less than 10 per cent of SMEs register their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)².

Managing Intellectual Property (IP) in a company's lifecycle can also significantly improve your chances of accelerating growth.  According to the European Patent Office, companies owning IP rights perform, on average, around 40 per cent better than those that do not³.

Recognising the value of IP management, 4iP Council has created the sections below to explain how to create, manage and commercialise your IP. The following content is a combination of several resources on the subject matter.

1 - European Patent Office, ‘New study reveals how IP helps startups raise finance’ (17 October 2023)
www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/new-study-reveals-how-ip-helps-startups-raise-finance.

2 - European Patent Office (EPO) and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), IPR Performance Study (January 2025)
link.epo.org/web/publications/studies/en-ipr-performance-study.pdf, p. 10, accessed 29 January 2026.

3 - European Patent Office (EPO) and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), IPR Performance Study (January 2025) link.epo.org/web/publications/studies/en-ipr-performance-study.pdf, p. 10, accessed 29 January 2026.