Innsight Newsletter Issue 2 November 2010

A substantial number of Inngot users have now benefited from our Sollomon indicative valuation service, particularly those who have received one as part of a package supported by the Welsh Assembly Government. We are pleased to have received very positive feedback from many of you on the speed and ease of the process.

We appreciate that valuation of intangibles is chiefly relevant for businesses contemplating licensing or seeking to raise debt or equity finance. However, it's also a great way to get a better understanding of the "hidden" value in your business that's not represented on your balance sheet.

Our Sollomon reports continue to be available at an introductory list price of £195+VAT, which will be changing in the New Year. We are still offering existing Inngot customers a special code giving you a 50% discount on this introductory price, as our thank-you for being an "early adopter". The only catch is that you will need to complete the valuation by 30 November 2010, when these codes will expire.

You can find out more about what Sollomon offers by clicking here. If you'd like to receive one of these promotional codes, please request one from us at info@inngot.com without delay!

A fear many new and smaller ventures share is that their good ideas will be stolen or contested by an organisation with far deeper pockets. Some choose to rely on secrecy and speed to market for protection, but these aren't always sufficient. Comparatively few choose to insure against these risks - but we believe we've found a way to make IP insurance much more relevant and affordable.

While it's normal (and in some cases mandatory) to insure your business against certain risks, comparatively few companies choose IP insurance. We think this is mainly because of the perceived cost and complexity, and not without reason: IP premiums have conventionally run into thousands of pounds, and the level of detail needed just to obtain a quote can be off-putting.

As our aim is to demystify intellectual assets, we thought we should take a look at the whole area of legal expenses insurance relating to IP and see whether it can be simplified and made more cost-effective. And the answer? Since we can pin down the assets that need to be covered, and estimate their value, we're confident we'll soon be able to offer you more appropriate cover for less.

To give you an idea of how much less, current indications are that you could obtain worthwhile cover for non-patented IP and associated intangibles, for about £40 per month - less than a tank of fuel. Patent cover is inevitably a bit more expensive, but could still be available for well under £100 per month. And the best news is that brokers confirm our valuation process already provides underwriters with virtually all they need to confirm your eligibility for cover.

We believe that insurance could be a great way to allow small and medium-sized enterprises to compete on more level terms. If you think it would benefit your business - or you have some experience on IP insurance you'd like to share - do drop us a quick line at info@inngot.com.

There's a new way you can use your Inngot profiles to bring your innovations to the attention of large companies - and it won't cost you a penny.

Inngot has been in discussions with Manchester-based IP Net, an initiative targeted at bringing university-generated IP to the attention of large organisations. Now, as a pilot project, we will be providing direct links to selected Innovation Profiles via IP Net's regular update service - enabling you to use your Inngot profile like a passport.

Over 80 major corporations subscribe to regular updates from IP Net, and we're happy to load a summary of your innovation and link it back to your details at no charge.

Initially, this will be a limited offer, and one that is probably best suited to technology- and software-based offerings. If you would like to participate, and your profile is up to date, all you need to do is send us an e-mail at info@inngot.com. We'll confirm what we can do for you and when.

There's a lot happening in the funding and support landscape right now - from the extension of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme to David Cameron's announcement of a new IP review.

Inngot's work as a "directory of innovation" and enabler for intangibles financing has led to our involvement in a number of recent policy discussions, which we're keen to share with our growing community where possible.

Accordingly we've now started "tweeting" where short updates seem most appropriate, and blogging where subjects require a more in-depth look.

While we wouldn't claim to have "insider knowledge", we do get to hear a lot of interesting things - so do follow us if you'd like regular snippets around fundraising and innovation. We promise not to include any information on what we had for breakfast!