IP-rich companies have until 23 March 2018 to join the IP100 and be featured in the initial 2018 rankings and all-important IP100 magazine. This is an opportunity to join successful IP100 companies, like M Squared and P2i, in showcasing the investment you have made in IP and successfully leveraging IP to secure finance, investment and support expansion.

The IP100 publishes a league table, which profiles and ranks IP-rich companies that have significantly invested in their IP in the form of IP creation, IP management policies, R&D activities and IP commercialisation. The IP100 ranking is based upon the assessment of five IP asset classes – Brand & Reputation, Patents, Critical Databases, Software, and Trade Secrets. Top ranking IP100 companies from the 2017 league table were successful in raising finance and securing investment:
• M Squared, specialists in the design and manufacturing of lasers and photonics technology, were ranked number one overall in 2017 IP100 league table and raised £1.65 million of investment from Business Growth Fund.
• P2i, ranked third overall and first in the patent asset class in 2017 IP100 league table, secured a £10 million investment deal with Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, to further its expansion in the Far East.
• Sphere Fluidics, ranked third overall in 2017 IP100 league table secured a £1 million grant to develop an innovative desktop genome editing system.

Stephen Robertson, founder of the IP100 said, “Managing IP and recognising it as a critical business asset is increasingly common amongst SMEs. Both lenders and investors recognise the significance of IP in underpinning a robust and scalable business model, as was evident from the successful fundraisings of our IP100 companies including P2i, M Squared, Sphere Fluidics and many more”.

Graeme Malcolm, CEO at M Squared commented, “IP100 has created a great measuring stick for IP-intensive businesses. Companies and investors aspire to invest in IP-rich high growth companies but there has been no external measure of this, until IP100. As a deep science business, being No 1 on the IP100 in 2017 allowed M Squared to demonstrate our position within the UK Innovation ecosystem and gives recognition of the scale and strategic richness of our IP creation and commercialisation activities”.

The IP100 is expanding and is forecasting 250 entrants by the end of 2018. Stephen Robertson said, “We are eagerly anticipating the next wave of entrants. By entering the IP100, businesses are sending out a clear message to lenders, investors, partners and potential acquirers that they are successfully commercialising their IP to maximise financial returns and protect or expand market share. The market is now recognising the critical role that key IP assets play in securing competitive advantage”.

The IP100 continues to be backed by important sponsors; Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, for the third consecutive year, are now joined by peer-to-peer lending firm, ArchOver, and patent attorneys, Haseltine Lake. A high-profile IP100 Awards Dinner will be hosted in 2018 to celebrate the achievements of the IP100 entrants.