Intellectual property services firm Rouse, in partnership with IP valuation firm Inngot, recently launch Intangio, a patent assessment and valuation service on Ali Auctions, China’s largest online auction service and part of the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.
Intangio, which was developed in collaboration with Ali Auctions, serves the needs of administrators who are appointed by courts to dispose of assets of bankrupt companies. Administrators can use the tool as an instant guideline to set reserve prices for patents offered on the Ali Auctions platform.
Intangio is the first publicly-available tool of its kind, and its growing database of patent transactions will have value to financial institutions, and the legal and technology community by providing accurate market valuation of patents.
Intangio estimates patent prices by comparison with historical transactions. In developing the tool, Rouse and Inngot built China’s largest database of corporate patent auctions so that Intangio can estimate prices accurately. Intangio also provides an assessment of patent quality, using Inngot’s proprietary metrics on this, as well as an “attractiveness” score which is based on volumes of transactions, licensing and litigation activity of comparable patents, drawing on Rouse’s CIELA litigation database.
While Intangio’s services are currently only available to users of the Ali Auctions platform, Rouse and Inngot have plans to expand its use within other Alibaba Group applications and more widely.
Chris Bailey, a Principal at Rouse Consultancy who led the Intangio project for Rouse, says:
“Our data-driven approach is uniquely suited to the problem of automated and accurate IP valuation, which Ali Auctions were looking to solve. Intangio will give banks and insurers essential data on recoverable value, helping China – which is already a pioneer in the IP finance value chain – to further enhance its IP lending system. Outside of financial markets, Intangio provides companies with an accurate way to assess the value and quality of their patents.”
Martin Brassell, co-founder and CEO of Inngot, says:
“Intangio is part of our drive to transform IP valuation. Currently it is often regarded as an art; Inngot is turning it into a science through the use of data analytics. This is the only way IP value can be exploited at scale, and third parties can have confidence in it.”
Rouse and Inngot announced a strategic alliance in January 2019, which has already led to applications of Inngot’s solutions within Rouse businesses in China, South-East Asia and the Middle East.
About Rouse
Rouse was established in the UK in 1990 and is recognised as a global Intellectual Property leader operating as a closely integrated network with more than 600 people working out of 18 offices in 13 countries. It became the first international IP firm to establish a base in Mainland China. The company has continued to strengthen its presence in the country, with over 300 professionals now working from offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
We focus exclusively on IP, from strategic consulting, patents and trade marks through to domain names, copyright, designs and geographical indications. And we’re experts in providing services for each stage of their life cycle.
We have a deep understanding of all jurisdictions around the world and a strong focus on more challenging markets such as Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Russia. Most importantly, we’re passionate about IP and enjoy working with clients who share that passion. We put clients at the heart of our business and build long standing relationships. From large multinationals that want our scale, quality and professionalism, to start ups that value our entrepreneurial spirit, the companies we work with come from a broad range of sectors with diverse business interests and needs.
About Inngot
Inngot has pioneered the use of online tools and services to help innovative businesses realise the value locked away in their intellectual property (IP) and intangible assets. The company was founded in 2007 by Martin Brassell FRSA and finance law expert Professor Iwan Davies FLSW, now Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University. It operates internationally from its offices in Swansea and Abingdon, near Oxford.
Inngot works with governments, industry bodies, general and specialist lenders, lawyers, and accountants in driving the development of policy that reflects the true value and significance of intangible assets in the 21st century global economy. Martin Brassell has written extensively on the topic and regularly speaks at top-level international events.
In addition to its policy work, Inngot has developed a suite of accessible and affordable online tools which enable companies to identify their assets, derive an indicative value for them, and communicate this information in a standardised report which is increasingly being used by banks and other lenders as validation in the lending process. Inngot’s valuation tools have now helped SMEs around the world to find over $1.1bn in previously ‘hidden’ value.
Inngot’s in-depth research into how IP policy, and particularly changes to the way IP can be used to raise financing, is informing the debate on driving innovation and economic growth. CEO Martin Brassell is currently finalising a follow-up to his first OECD report, Fostering the Use of Intangibles to Strengthen SME Access to Finance, published in January 2019. He has also co-authored Economic Approaches to Intellectual Property, with Dr Nicola Searle (OUP, 2016), and reports and publications for the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), amongst others.
Find out more at www.inngot.com
