Partners & Associates

Protecting your IP supports commercialisation and increases value, but there are many more challenges on the way to making your business a success. Through our work with associates we have developed partnerships that have made a difference to our business and will make a difference to yours.

Who Can Help You

IP is not the be all and end all. We develop partnerships and relationships with other top-notch providers that can help make your business a success. Here’s who we recommend and how they can help you.

IP Commercialisation

  • Innova Partnerships – www.innovapartnerships.com
    Led by Steve Howell, Innova specialises in helping near-to-market medical technology companies bring their products to market, raise finance or make deals. With access to key partners in various sectors. Innova will act as consultants, interim managers and work for a fee or for a stake, depending upon the opportunity.
  • Orion Innovations – www.orioninnovations.co.uk
    Cleantech sector specialist Orion, led by Alison Cavey, specialises in accessing finance and commercialisation. Orion operates a number of government- and EU agency-funded technology commercialisation programmes.

IP Creation and Innovation

  • Idea Couturewww.ideacouture.com
    The European division of this Canadian creative innovation agency is led by energetic entrepreneur Richard Palmer. Inventor of d3O, a soft flexible material containing intelligent molecules that lock together to absorb impact, Richard can now assist with bringing to life your visualisations.

IP Insurance

  • Safeguard IPsafeguardip.com/
    David Bloom’s Safeguard IP offers a very approachable service and can help find the IP insurance policy suitable for your own business, including the cover required, the level of cover, the degree of risk and the budget (within reason)

Brand development

  • Evolution Designwww.evolution-design.co.uk
    A graphic and web design company run by Neale Gilhooley, Evolution can help you communicate via logo creation, brand development, website design, and e-mailshots, brochures and exhibition stands.

PR agency

  • Burt Greenerwww.burtgreener.co.uk
    With accounts such as Irn Bru, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Tennent’s, you know Janine Greener and her team are going to deliver a tailor-made PR strategy to endure maximum impact.

Who helps us

Key to efficiently delivering our services are our suppliers. We value the contribution of all our suppliers and choose them carefully to deliver the best service for you.

Our professional associates

We have relationships with patent and trade mark attorneys globally. We work with overseas associates who have the right blend of style, efficiency, approach and expertise to suit each of our clients’ requirements.

Media, graphic web, photography

  • Mrs Hare and Mr Heathwww.mrshareandmrheath.co.uk
    Web design, branding, music scores and food to die for. Simon has helped us design and build our website. Amanda has helped cater for our clients. We have not yet commissioned a score or soundtrack. Watch this space!
  • Lewis Picswww.lewspics.com
    Lewis is known for his work in the high-octane, powerful and fast-moving world of motorsports.
  • Andy Bancroftwww.andydbancroft.com/
    Andy has a good number of years’ experience in preparing formal drawings for patent applications and design registrations. He is timely, cost effective and produces a high quality product
  • Daniel Sutherland Design Studiowww.danielsutherland.co.uk/
    Daniel is experienced in preparing patent and design drawings and is very responsive and goes the extra mile.  His office also offers product design services

Web hosting and domain names

  • Broadband Cloud Solutionswww.broadbandcloudsolutions.co.uk
    We can’t speak more highly of this firm. Where most spacemasters and domain name registration firms are distant and lifeless, Broadband Cloud Solutions manage a blend of online efficiency and personal and responsive availability.
  • NS Designwww.nsdesign.co.uk
    As well as building websites, Gary Ennis and his team have been developing their reputation in delivering training and expertise in social media management and maximisation.

Business functions

  • George & Co (Chartered Accountants) – 
www.georgeco.co.uk
    We’re grateful to Linda and the team for their support behind the scenes and keeping us on the straight and narrow.
  • Equinox IS (IP records) – www.equinoxis.com
    All patent attorneys need a reliable records system. Equinox is designed by patent attorneys for patent attorneys, is intuitive and tunable to our needs.
  •  Xero (accounting software)www.xero.com/uk/
    Designed for small businesses, Xero is constantly evolving to provide up-to-date cloud-based accounting to reduce the administrative burden
  • iZettle (payment facilitator)www.izettle.com/gb
    This allows face-to-face credit card payments with little up-front cost
  • Paypal (payment facilitator)www.paypal.com/uk/home
    Well-known and effective – a great mechanism to take online payment with minimal up-front investment
  • Myfax (e-fax service)www.myfax.com/
    If for any reason you still need to send or receive faxes, myfax offers a straightforward and very reliable service for e-faxing
  • E-sign (online document signing service)e-sign.co.uk
    One of a number of online electronic signing services
  • St John’s Innovation Centre (business centre and virtual office) – stjohns.co.uk/
    A pleasant Cambridge business centre, which provides a virtual tenancy service and meeting rooms for tenants to use in a pleasant environment and convenient for Cambridge
  • Hiscox Insurancewww.hiscox.co.uk
    Provider of various business insurance, including public liability and other insurances you will required
  • PAMIA (PI insurance for patent attorneys)
    The mutual professional indemnity insurance company for patent and trade mark attorneys, provides cover for 95% of UK and Irish private practice attorneys
  • Horncastle (travel agency) – www.horncastle.co.uk/edinburgh.php
    Our neighbours at Horncastle provide a very reliable travel agency service for business travel – and can sort out problems in an emergency

Entertainment

We love finding new options for entertainment, both to celebrate our clients’ successes and give ourselves some down time… If we can’t celebrate your successes and our achievements, what can we do?
Check out these links for the venues and events organisers we have enjoyed using:

Beer & Skittles Barwww.beerandskittlesbar.co.uk
The Seabird Centrewww.seabird.org
The Mad March Harethemadmarchhare.co.uk
Panda & Sonspandaandsons.com/
A great, hidden, prohibition style cocktail bar. Worth a visit for the birdcage alone
Scotch Malt Whisky Societywww.smws.com/
Knowledgeable and helpful experts will help you learn about various whiskys and what you like to drink. Great venues in London and Edinburgh too

IP Services

  • Equinox (IP records)www.workanyware.co.uk/
    An adaptable and intuitive system, designed by patent attorneys for patent attorneys.  A responsive and helpful team at Equinox too. We’re glad to be part of the family
  • Patentseekers (patent search)www.patentseekers.com/en
    Patentseekers provide professional and efficient patent search services according to client needs and budget and are reliable and helpful too
  • Envoy (renewals) – www.envoyrenewals.com
    Our business model is about adding value to your business. We don’t rely on old-fashioned reciprocal renewal arrangements. Envoy help us handle your renewals very cost efficiently, reliably and effectively.
  • Valipat (EU patent validation) – www.valipat.com/
    Again, our object is to add value to your business.  We don’t rely on reciprocal EP validation business and so we can focus on finding the best service for you.  Valipat is regularly part of our EP validation exercises
  • Patsnap (patent search and landscaping) – www.patsnap.com/
    Patsnap is an excellent patent analytics portal with a wealth of patent data to mine, explore and visualise.  A great tool to assist in IP planning, landscaping and competitor monitoring
  • Darts IP (IP case service) – www.darts-ip.com/
    Provides case law information to support our work in various territories and is particular useful for trade mark matters.
  • Corsearch (TM search and TM watch) – www.corsearch.com/#HM
    Helping us help you protect our brands.  We use Corsearch for our cost-effective TM watching and monitoring offering

Membership Bodies

We maintain membership of a number of professional and sector-specific organisations who help us through representation, information and support and to keep up to date with key technology areas.

Professional memberships

  •  CIPAwww.cipa.org.uk/
    Our professional body.  Useful information available about Intellectual Property too
  • CITMAwww.citma.org.uk/about_citma/about_citma
    The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys
  • EPIpatentepi.com/en/
    The European Patent Institute is the professional body of European Patent Attorneys
  • IPRegipreg.org.uk/
    his is the Intellectual Property Regulation Board and is the body responsible for regulating patent and trade mark attorneys in the UK

Sector groups and membership bodies

  • RSCwww.rsc.org/
    The Royal Society of Chemistry, supporting chemists and the chemistry community in the UK
  • SCIwww.soci.org/
    The Society of Chemical Industry
  • SHFCAhttp://www.shfca.org.uk/
    The Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association promotes and supports Scottish expertise in the fuel cell and hydrogen sectors
  • IBioICwww.ibioic.com/index.php
    The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre provides a focus for this interdisciplinary industry sector and provides useful events to share expertise and network