This white paper, authored by Shivang Patel and Manja Sachet, with contributions from Madeline Hess, Ben Hoch, Max Learner, Bob O’Connor, Jason Slagle, and Scott Zimmermann from Wilson Sonsini, CREO and Spring Lane, provides a primer for climate technology developers on managing and protecting intellectual property (IP) rights as they transition from R&D to commercial deployment, emphasizing the importance of maintaining control over their technology while collaborating with strategic partners.

As part of a series developed by Wilson Sonsini, in collaboration with CREO, Spring Lane Capital, and Builders Vision, to complement the Developer U workshops, this whitepaper outlines key IP principles and offers practical guidance for climate tech developers navigating the shift from R&D to commercialization, helping them protect their IP while building strategic partnerships. This series is intended to introduce key concepts critical to the successful development and financing of climate hardware projects, with the goal of equipping stakeholders with the knowledge needed to navigate the complex financing and development challenges in climate technology.

Read the white paper here.