The Day You Stop Being a Plant Startup By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  You do not realize it when it happens. There is no announcement. No milestone marker. No internal memo. There is a moment, quiet… almost invisible, when your company stops being a startup… …and becomes a target. It usually happens right after validation. [...]

How Patent Strategy Shapes Funding, Growth, and Exit By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  At every stage of a clean energy company, patents play a different role. And understanding that evolution is critical. Because intellectual property is not static. Its impact changes as the business grows. Early Stage: Signaling Defensibility In the early stages, when revenue [...]

How Clean Energy Startups Turn Patents Into Revenue By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  Patents only create value when they are used. This is where many companies fall short. They invest in intellectual property, secure patents, and then treat them as static assets—something to hold rather than something to leverage. But in clean energy, patents are [...]

Why Patent Quality Matters More Than Quantity By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  More patents do not necessarily mean more value. In many cases, it means the opposite. This is one of the most common misconceptions among clean energy startups. Founders often assume that building a large patent portfolio automatically strengthens their position. On paper, a [...]

How to Build a Patent Portfolio That Increases Valuation By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  Filing a patent is not the same as building a strategy. This is one of the most common misconceptions among clean energy startups. Many companies treat patenting as a checklist item—file early, file often, and assume protection will follow. But investors [...]

How Patents Drive Valuation in Clean Energy Startups By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  Clean energy innovation is accelerating at a pace few industries have experienced before. From advanced battery storage and hydrogen production to carbon capture and next-generation materials, startups are pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Capital is flowing, governments are incentivizing development, [...]

The Role of Patents in Exit Valuation By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  At exit, everything becomes clear. What matters. What holds value. What drives the deal. And in clean energy transactions, one asset consistently rises to the top: the patent portfolio. For acquirers, patents answer a critical question: “Can we protect this investment after we [...]

How Patents Quietly Shape Business Models By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  Most founders assume growth requires scale. Manufacturing. Infrastructure. Expansion. But what if scale could happen without all of that? Patents make that possible. They enable companies to monetize innovation in multiple ways—not just through production. Licensing is one of the most powerful. With strong [...]

By Howard W. Kline Over the past year, the USPTO deserves real credit for significantly reducing the pendency for examination of new trademark applications. Trademark applications are now examined around 4.4 months after the application filing date – a dramatic improvement from one year ago. Faster USPTO examination gives brand owners meaningful insight into registrability before the [...]

Why Patent Strategy Impacts Funding More Than You Think By Joshua Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner  Two startups. Similar technology. Different outcomes. One raises capital quickly. The other struggles. Why? Often, the difference is not the product. It is the perceived defensibility of the business. And that perception is shaped by intellectual property. In clean energy, where [...]