Strategy & Partnerships
How do I find a manufacturing or development partner for my invention?
The short answer
Pitch the partnership, not just the patent — the data says it works: in the 2021 LES survey, 'future collaboration' overtook pure money as the leading licensor motive (36% vs 24%). Companies increasingly want ongoing relationships with the people behind the IP.
The full picture
Where to look: contract manufacturers already serving your product category, component suppliers who'd gain from your design, and companies whose product roadmap your invention completes. Industry trade shows and supplier directories beat cold email for this specific search — partners want to see and touch.
Structure the ask around their win: lower cost, a differentiated product, a new line. Your patent is the reason they can't just take the idea — and your continued involvement (the collaboration they increasingly value) is often what closes. Packaging that pitch, and protecting the unpatented know-how inside it, is preparation worth doing before the first meeting. We help owners build exactly that.
Where does your patent stand?
The Beyond the Patent Commercialization Score answers that — a professional, factor-by-factor read on your patent's licensing, sale, build, and partner potential.
Related questions
General information for patent owners — not legal advice. Read the disclaimer.