Intellectual property (IP) is increasingly recognized as a strategic asset that can strengthen investment readiness, unlock access to financing, and support long-term business growth. In a recent interview with WIPO, Iynna Halilou, General Partner at the MBA Fund, shared five practical tips for women inventors and founders navigating the path from innovation to investment and financing:
- Start with the Market, Not the Technology: Patents, trademarks, and other IP assets are most effective when aligned with a clear market need and a path to customer adoption. Early IP protection can signal differentiation and long-term value to investors.
- Investors Back Teams, Not Just Ideas: At early stages, the founding team matters as much as the technology. Complementary skills and the ability to attract collaborators are key signals of execution capacity, and investor confidence.
- Know Your Funding Options: Venture capital is not the only route. For IP-intensive, deep-tech, and research-driven startups with longer development cycles, non-dilutive financing, including grants and public innovation programs, can provide essential early-stage resources while preserving ownership.
- Turn Setbacks into Strategic Insights: Entrepreneurship is an iterative process. Learning from unsuccessful pitches or product failures strengthens business models and sharpens value propositions.
- Build with Confidence: Women founders are already driving breakthroughs in AI, climate technology, and health innovation. Both addressing structural barriers in funding and access, and fostering confidence, are essential to sustaining that momentum.
Halilou also delivered a keynote address at the WIPO Women and IP Symposium for Innovation and IP Offices 2026, highlighting the evolving role of IP institutions in facilitating access to financing and investment for early-stage founders.
Read the full interview: 5 Tips from a VC Investor for Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs Seeking Investment