In the world of science ventures, patents are often treated like golden tickets. Founders rush to file them, investors demand them as a prerequisite and universities build bureaucracies around them. But this obsession with IP holds back creativity, entrepreneurship and, ultimately, real-world impact.

Opinion
November 5, 2025
The cult of IP is distracting Europe’s spinout founders
When you start with the market, the mission and the team, the rest, including the right IP, will follow
3 min read
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Ale Maiano is the cofounder and CEO of Wilbe, a pre-seed investor backing scientist founders.

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