Patent landscape analysis for startups
A fixed-price review of up to 15 patents around your technology, organized so your team and your patent counsel can see who is filing what. $1,349, business research only.
A map of public patent activity around your technology
Patent landscape analysis for startups starts with a simple question: who else is filing in the area you are about to build in, and what do they appear to be claiming? Our Patent Landscape Research service organizes publicly available patent information around your technology so you can see the field before you commit engineering time or capital.
It is an affordable patent landscape report for teams that need a clear picture and cannot justify a large legal budget at an early stage. The price is $1,349 and covers up to 15 identified patents.
This is business and market research. It is not a legal service, and it does not replace a conversation with qualified patent counsel.
A landscape is useful at three points: before you fix a design, when you are deciding where to spend development effort, and before you talk to investors or a patent attorney. At each point the question is the same, but the use of the answer differs. Early on it shapes direction. Later it supports a conversation that already has a technical basis.
Because the report documents its sources and search approach, it can be checked and extended. If your counsel wants a deeper search, the work done here shows where to start and what has already been looked at.
What the $1,349 covers
- Research across the technology area and competitive landscape, defined with you during scoping.
- Review and comparison of up to 15 identified patents.
- A summary and comparison matrix covering technical features, ownership and status information, and relevant commercial context.
- A side-by-side view of apparent technical overlaps and distinctions, based on publicly available information.
- Competitive patent activity, including filing patterns and areas of concentration.
- Business and market context you can bring to a discussion with patent counsel.
- A written report with the patent list, sources, and a documented search approach.
As with every ZKK engagement, one round of revisions is included, and we can sign a mutual NDA before you share anything proprietary.
What it does not do
We do not give legal advice or legal opinions. The report does not determine patentability, freedom to operate, infringement, or validity. Those are legal conclusions, and they belong with qualified patent counsel.
The report also does not claim to be an exhaustive search of every patent in existence. It documents the search approach we used and the patents we reviewed, so you and your counsel can see exactly what was covered and decide what else is needed.
If you need more than 15 patents or a broader technology sweep, tell us and we will provide a custom quote.
Who tends to use it
Most clients are founders and product leads who are choosing a design direction, preparing for a fundraise, or trying to understand a crowded technical area. Investors often ask whether anyone else is active in the space, and a documented, sourced answer is easier to present than a general statement.
It also suits teams that plan to hire a patent attorney and want to arrive with organized background instead of paying hourly rates for basic orientation. If your field is medical devices, see our page on medical device patent landscape research.
It is not aimed at large companies with in-house IP teams. It is aimed at small teams with a real technical idea, limited budget, and a need for an organized starting point.
How a landscape differs from freedom-to-operate and legal opinions
A landscape describes the field. It groups patents by technology, shows who owns them, how they are distributed over time, and where activity is concentrated. It is a research product.
A freedom-to-operate analysis asks whether a specific product could infringe specific claims. That requires legal interpretation of claim language and is done by patent counsel. A validity or patentability opinion is also a legal judgment.
The two can work together. A landscape can narrow the list of patents worth a lawyer's time. Our guide landscape vs. freedom to operate goes through the difference in more detail, and how to do a patent landscape search explains how these searches are structured.
Pricing and how to start
The base price is $1,349, fixed. We scope the work on a discovery call, send a Statement of Work, and start once the 50% deposit is paid. The remaining 50% is invoiced on completion. Timelines are set during scoping.
You can bundle patent research with market research. The Market + Patent Bundle (Launchpad plus Patent Landscape Research) is $2,149. See services and pricing for everything, or book a discovery call to talk through your technology. A sample patent summary is part of the fall detection report listed on our work page.
Common questions
Is this a legal opinion?
What if I need more than 15 patents?
Can I combine it with market research?
How long does it take?
Related
Want to see what is being filed around your idea?
Book a discovery call and we will scope a patent landscape for your technology. Business research only, at a fixed price.