Startup story #9 - InCatalyst

It might sound surprising, but many companies lack the time and resources to patent their inventions. InCatalyst is building software that helps enterprises produce and manage their intellectual property (IP) more simply and cost-effectively. Adam Novak, co-founder and CEO, shares his vision and discusses the project's evolution in this brief interview.

What does InCatalyst do?
We are building a software solution that enables companies to reduce their intellectual property (IP) costs and to fully outsource their IP management, from patent drafting to handling recurring fees. The project started back in 2022 when we attended a competition organised by the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich and realised there were gaps in existing IP management solutions. We then spoke to various stakeholders, including patent attorneys and companies with diverse patent portfolios, to create a solution that would cater for their needs.

How does it work?
With our privately hosted Large Language Model (LLM), we iteratively ask users questions about their inventions to draft patents and ensure a high level of patent detail. At the same time, the system compares the user's draft to the existing patents through integrations with international databases containing over 100 million files, checking for any overlaps with any previous patent. In the future, we plan to incorporate visual models to assist clients in prior-art searches and to generate AI-powered drawings, eliminating the need for manual or other software-based illustration methods.

What have you achieved so far and what are your next milestones?
We already have an MVP, which we are currently testing. In 2023, we were selected for the 11th batch of the Tenity acceleration programme, receiving our first investment. The next step is to engage pilot customers to further refine our solution. Weare currently targeting small and medium enterprises with a portfolio of up to ten patents. Based on our market research, these companies encounter IP-related challenges more frequently and lack the resources and time to dedicate to IP protection. 

Who else works with you on the project?
We are a small team. The other two co-founders, Konstantin Andreev and Yaroslav Petrov, and I met through personal networks, got to know each other, and discovered that we are equally passionate about resolving this problem. 

3 quick questions to wrap it up:

• How can you test your ideas and understand whether it is worth pursuing them? -  Find a way to test your hypotheses. One useful tip is creating a landing page with your value proposition and a sign-up box, this way you can track potential customer interest.
• Why did you become an entrepreneur? – I wanted to broaden my horizons, learn new things and meet new people. A corporate career was not really for me. 
• What advice would you give to other founders? – Do not rush into it, dropping everything. Building a startup is not a sprint but rather a marathon, so you need to manage your energy, resources, and willpower wisely.