In my earlier post I mentioned how IP can show good technology fit for private equity firms shopping new ventures. More traditionally, IP can act as a validating mile-marker to investors; the seeds of real invention to become implemented innovations and providing a sustainable, proprietary value proposition for the company.
Today there is a bit of buzz about what a company like Intellectual Ventures could possibly be doing in amassing incredible patent portfolios. Looking at it from the above prospective, it is possible that they could be doing exactly what entrepreneurs do when they first develop their ideas: use the protected technology to look for funding and start companies.
When a technologies future is uncertain, having access to a great number of approaches or techniques significantly increases ones probability of success. Having exclusive access a large pool of fundamental patents on related technologies could present an interesting opportunity for VC’s with access to capital, technology experts, and operational gurus looking to reduce the uncertainty in developing certain products.
Without trying too hard, here is a list of well known VC firms that may have interest in IV someday (reasonably good list for traditional entrepreneurs as well).
Accel
Alta Partners
Atlas Venture
Azure Capital (OQO investor)
Battery Ventures
Benchmark Capital
Berkshire Partners
Bessemer Venture Partners
Canaan Partners
Centennial Ventures
Charles River Ventures
Credit Suisse
Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Greylock Partners
HarbourVest Partners
HCP
IDG Ventures
Institutional Venture Partners
Integral Capital Partners
Khosla Ventures
KPCB
Lightspeed Venture Partners
Mayfield
Menlo Ventures
Mobius Venture Capital
Mohr Davidow Ventures
Morgenthaler
NEA
Norwest Venture Partners
Oak Investment Partners
Pitango Venture Capital
Polaris Ventures
Rustic Canyon Partners
Sequoia Capital
Sprout Group
TA Associates
Technology Crossover Ventures
US Venture Partners
VantagePoint
Venrock
Warburg Pincus
Wellington Partners Venture Capital
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