Research Guides: Patents: Financing/Licensing/Selling Your Patent

Finding Funding for or Monetizing Your Patent

Owning intellectual property in the form of a patent makes your business or company more valuable and more attractive to potential financial backers.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) is an SBA program which provides federal funds to small businesses and start-ups to help commercialize their technological innovations.
How to Seek Funding for Your Invention is a listing of sources compiled by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
SBA Guaranteed Small Business Loans
Lending from a Community Financial Development Institution (CDFI).
Equity financing, where you obtain financing from investors, can be in the form of
- angel/seed investors (startup stage)
- venture capital investors (early stage, pre-profitability)
- private equity investors (mid to later stage, demonstrated profitability)
Lists of equity sources can be found in-
- SBA approved Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC)
- S&P Capital IQ (electronic database accessible in the Thomas Yoseloff Business Center)
- PrivCo (electronic database accessible in the Thomas Yoseloff Business Center)
- Pratt's Guide to Venture Capital & Private Equity Sources
- Guide to Venture Capital & Private Equity Firms: Domestic & International with Separate Canadian Section
Crowdfunding such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
If you want to license or sell your U.S. patent you can list it either in the Official Gazette of the USPTO or on the Patents 4 Partnerships IP Marketplace Platform.
Employ the services of a Registered Patent Practitioner for licensing or selling a patent.