1. I have an idea, now what! What’s the process?
Todd Keiller- Director Intellectual Property
and Innovation at WPI

2. disclosure Prior to any public disclosure
External poster presentations are public

3. Prior art - what is out there already?
Google patents
Library

4. Evaluate the invention
not only the strength of the IP, but
The commercial potential!

5. Evaluate the invention
Ask early on:
N – what is the need out there?
A – What is our approach?
B- What is the benefit of our approach?
C – who is the competition and how do we stack up against them?
Source: Curtis Carlson, Practice of Innovation

6. File and manage the Ip Student choices based on
a) invented all on your own,
b) invented with significant WPI resources, and
c) invented with WPI Faculty

7. File and manage IP A) invented on your own – 100% yours
B) filed with significant WPI Resources – 99% yours
C) filed with or as a WPI faculty – 50% yours

8. File and manage ip 1) Provisional patent 2) utility patent
3) PCT (patent cooperation treaty) – foreign filings.

9. What is patentable? Novel – must be new, not published*
Non- obvious, i.e., unexpected results
Patent disclosure – describe the invention
Utility – must have a distinct practical use

10. Business Model Canvas – Steve Blank

11. License agreement
Negotiate terms
Monitor license for diligence

12. Moving to a commercial outcome

13. Fit with current R+D Plan?
Often it is the inventor publication, contact at conference that initiates
Tech transfer office marketing

14. Need a team that includes an entrepreneurial minded person
WPI Tech Advisors Network (TAN)
Focus on your value proposition and customer segments – and be prepared to pivot (a lot)!

15. financing a start up “FFF” is the largest source of initial financing
SBIR/STTR – government small business innovation grants
Internal “GaP” funds – ie WPI accelerator fund, UVM Ventures, SPARK!
Angel funding
Venture capital
Strategic money from industry

16. WPI Comparison
Disclosures Disclosures/ Licenses Licenses/$million Startups Startups/$million Licensing FTEs
$ million of Research of research
WPI
Cal Tech
M.I.T
RIT
Stevens
CMU
AUTM* AVG
*Association of University Technology Managers These data are from calendar 2015 AUTM survey, WPI is FY 2016
Note that in FY 2017 there are already 9 licenses and 6 startups, forecast at least 12 licenses and 7 startups

17. WPI start ups -2018 POWERHIVE* AM Batteries*
Sports Engineering, Inc.*
Kinetic Batteries
Gweepi Medical
Mobile Sense Technologies* *
POWERHIVE*
AM Batteries*
ContexSure, INC*

18. NEXT IDEA COULD BE YOURS!

19. QUESTIONS?
TODD KEILLER