![]() As the industry has expanded over the past few years, many portals have popped up to fill the demand. One such crowdfunding platform recently launched wasFunderbuilt. Set up by a group of entrepreneurs to empower entrepreneurs, creators, and philanthropists (aka, project owners), Funderbuilt provides the tools and resources necessary to crowdfund dreams. Funderbuilt sets themselves apart from other crowdfunding platforms by focusing on project owner education and empowerment on fundamentals to ensure success.CrowdFunding marketing Michael S. Melfi, Founder of the IP law firm Melfi & Associates PC, is also Funderbuilt’s General Counsel. Like many of the women profiled in my blog onFemale Inventors In The Business Of Law, Michael is an entrepreneurial attorney–his clients include early stage companies less than five years old who are raising their first round of outside money. The following interview will be the first in a monthly series with prominent attorneys, investors, and entrepreneurs–of course with an IP twist.Kickstarter Marketing I was excited to interview Michael, who shares my passion for IP, on a Sunday morning in Phoenix late last month. I asked Michael to talk to us about IP and fundraising in broad terms below: Why is an IP strategy important for fundraising?
It is important for startups and early stage companies to take the necessary steps to establish an IP strategy, an action that requires an investment into the IP. Early stage companies often focus on operations and sales, items that are a necessity in the short term. However backers looking to make long-term investments, as well as a return on that investment, are looking for security in the future, and without IP protection the investment can become questionable and riskier. Indiegogo Marketing What do you look for in a company in terms of an IP strategy? When evaluating a company for investment, there are a few key items to look for:
Any IP horror stories to share? For example, instances when a company should have had a better IP strategy in place but didn’t.
Having that initial discussion about your IP can mean the difference between whether or not your fundraising is successful, and can also impact the value of your company from day one. Michael’s answers above apply to all fundraising, but again, IP should be identified and protected prior to any public fundraising.crowdfunding marketing Posted from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/maryjuetten/2014/07/10/crowdfunding-and-intellectual-property-tips-from-an-entrepreneurial-attorney/ |