Just Granted: First Steps
Do I need a working prototype before I approach companies?
The short answer
No — a granted patent, clear claims, and a credible market story open licensing conversations every day. Only about 40% of patented inventions ever reach market launch or mass production, which means most interest and most deals happen well before a finished product exists.
The full picture
What a prototype buys you is risk reduction: it proves the invention works and shortens the licensee's path to revenue, which improves your terms. Test data, customer interviews, or a working demo all do similar work. But many licenses — especially in software, chemistry, and process inventions — close on the strength of the claims and the market logic alone.
The real question is whether a prototype's cost earns its keep in better deal terms for your specific patent and industry. Sometimes it's essential; often it's money spent in the wrong order. That's a judgment call we help owners make before they write the check — feel free to ask.
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.