Intellectual Property Finance

Most companies need capital to scale, grow and sometimes survive at some point. Yet when seeking finance, few companies tap into one of their most valuable assets, their intellectual property.

This finance gap stands in the way of their success and the prosperity of our economies. Intangible asset finance could narrow this gap. What an enterprise creates and invests, when protected by intellectual property, holds tremendous value. Strategic use of these intangible assets could become a game changer for intangible intensive firms.
To enhance access to finance on the strength of IP, governments and commercial concerns are experimenting with a range of initiatives and offerings.

Moving IP Finance from the Margins to the Mainstream

Moving IP Finance from the Margins to the Mainstream – Discussion Document

This paper describes the potential of IP finance, the challenges it faces, and outlines WIPO’s Action Plan to move IP finance from the margins to the mainstream.

This paper describes the potential of IP finance, the challenges it faces, and outlines WIPO’s Action Plan to move IP finance from the margins to the mainstream.

Previous events

IP Finance Dialogue 2026 – Banking on Intangibles: From Valuation to Financing

24 November 2026, 10:00-15:15 CET
The IP Finance Dialogue will take place in a hybrid format in the WIPO Conference Hall at WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and online.

Explore IP finance

Resources and publications

Looking for practical guidance and insights on IP finance? 

WIPO provides practical resources and research for businesses, financial institutions and policymakers engaging with IP-backed finance.

IP Finance Pilot Project

Interested in how 
IP-backed finance works in practice? 

WIPO develops pilot projects with partners to test practical approaches and demonstrate how IP assets can support access to finance.

IP Finance Dialogue

Looking to engage with the global IP finance community?

 The IP Finance Dialogue brings together policymakers, financial institutions, businesses and IP experts to exchange experience and advance IP-backed finance.

Country perspectives

Exploring how countries are developing IP finance ecosystems?

WIPO’s Country Perspectives Series shares national experiences, best practices, challenges and priorities for developing IP finance ecosystems.

Hands-on IP Finance:

Securing Loans with Your IP Assets

This guide assists businesses and intellectual property (IP) owners in leveraging IP to secure loans. It outlines how IP can support debt financing, prepares users for discussions with lenders, and provides insights into the lending process. Additionally, the guide addresses post-loan procedures. Throughout, practical checklists and templates equip businesses and IP owners to maximize the value of their intangible assets and facilitate favorable financing terms.

More publications

What is IP finance?

Intellectual property rights can be used to secure financing, either by pledging them or transferring rights to cash flows derived from these assets. Alternatively, a company’s intellectual property can provide an indicator of a firm’s value and support financing decisions. For some businesses, intangible assets only represent a small portion of what a company is worth. For others, the bulk of their value may flow from their intellectual property. These companies must communicate the value of their intellectual property and other intangible assets to lenders and investors.

IP Financing is growing but still largely nascent. Experiments by commercial actors and governments to improve access to finance on the strength of intellectual property are ongoing.

How can IP be used as collateral?

In debt financing, lenders often require borrowers to pledge their assets as collateral when providing a loan. If the borrower defaults, the lender can seize these assets and monetize them to recover some of their losses. Collateralized loans may be easier for a business to secure and may be cheaper than other forms of lending.

Tangible assets, like equipment and buildings owned by a business are often used as collateral. Certain intellectual property assets, like copyrights, designs, and patents, - or revenue streams associated with these assets - are increasingly used to support loans.

When IP is used as collateral, ownership usually remains with the borrower. However, a lender may put certain conditions on how the IP can be used in the future. This could affect the ability to transfer to license the IP or transfer it to others.

Lenders will often file notice of their rights - known as a security interest - to the IP in the case of a borrower’s default on a loan. Depending on a country’s laws, a security interest may be filed through a local IP office or a movable collateral registry. If a lender uses IP as collateral that is held in multiple countries, this process may need to be completed multiple times.

WIPO Report Series on Unlocking IP-backed Finance

To better track and learn from these experiences, WIPO launched a new report series on Unlocking IP-backed Financing, Country Perspectives.

The Series tracks how countries are tackling IP-Backed finance. Each report, developed in partnership with a local partner IP office, a local expert, and WIPO,  provides an insider perspective of the situation on the ground. The reports reflect on successes and challenges, as well as the road ahead. This Series provides an opportunity to deepen dialogues around IP-backed financing, sharing best practices and shedding light on what it will take to mainstream.

The reports provide a nuanced analysis of the current state of IP-backed financing in various countries, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges that exist in the area. As the value of intangible assets including intellectual property increase, governments highlight the strategies they have employed to support the growth of IP finance in their country to cultivate a more robust innovation ecosystem.

Early findings from the Report Series on IP Financing

At a side event held during the Sixty-Third Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO , Jamaica, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom shared how progress in intangible asset finance requires engagement across sectors, like finance, business, and government, to work together.

IP Financing in Japan

Several policy initiatives are changing the way companies think about intellectual property in Japan, including launching the IP Business Valuation Reports to facilitate communication in the lending process, and referencing IP Protection in Japan’s recent Corporate Governance Code revision.

A number of policy initiatives are changing the way companies think about intellectual property in Japan. This includes:

  • the launch of IP Business Valuation Reports facilitate communication in the lending process,
  • reference to protecting intellectual property in Japan’s recent Corporate Governance Code revision and
  • engagement to raise awareness and the profile of IP financing, as well as in vitalizing domestic economy.

The event was supported by the Japan Patent Office and with financing from the Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global.

IP Financing in Japan

IP-backed Financing in Japan: Challenges and Potentials

Interim findings from Japan’s country report were shared in June 2022 at an event.

IP Financing in Singapore

The report explores how Singapore has positioned itself to support IP-backed financing, including by developing a robust legal framework and a whole of government approach. This includes creating a supportive environment for IP-backed financing, including through disclosure, valuation, and secondary markets for intangible assets.

The first report in the series shares Singapore’s journey and the holistic approach the country takes to IP financing. It explores how Singapore has positioned itself to support IP-backed financing, including by developing a robust legal framework and a whole of government approach. Among other initiatives, the pilot Intellectual Property Financing Scheme, is described in detail, where the government shared default risks with participating financial institutions that offered IP-backed loans. The report further describes Singapore’s efforts to create a supportive environment for IP-backed financing, including through disclosure, valuation, and secondary markets for intangible assets. With an eye towards the future, the report identifies challenges faced by the local ecosystem in expanding the availability of IP finance.

As the value of intangible assets including intellectual property (IA/IP) increases, governments are recognizing the need for enterprises to proactively protect, manage and commercialize them to derive maximum benefit for enterprises and the overall economy.

This report gives an account of Singapore’s IA/IP financing journey – the initiatives and the challenges faced, as well as the next steps on the journey to unlock IA/IP financing for innovative enterprises.

Unlocking IP-backed Financing: Country Perspectives - Singapore’s Journey

IP Financing in the United Kingdom

Financial institutions in the UK are exploring the potential of Intellectual Property as a means of securing loans, offering a glimpse into how broader access to IP-backed financing could empower innovators and creators to harness their IP for growth.

Unlocking IP-backed Financing: Country Perspectives - The United Kingdom’s Journey

Launching the United Kingdom report
UK’s Minister for AI and Intellectual Property, Viscount Camrose, and WIPO Director General Daren Tang launched the report in March 2024.

Download the reports

The following countries have participated in this series: