Saga Robotics is an Oslo-based startup with roots in the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Ås. They develop equipment and services for agriculture such as UV-C treatment to combat mold, distributing beneficial insects and collecting data. The company is continuously working on patenting and trademarks to strengthen its competitive advantages
Has developed autonomous night watch for farmers around the world
Mold damages food crops and reduces food production, forcing farmers to throw away large parts of their crops and spray their fields with environmentally harmful chemicals. Saga Robotics has developed "Thorvald", a mechanical farm helper that can work at all hours of the day, seven days a week. It not only increases profitability, but also reduces the need for pesticides. "Thorvald" has significant market potential, the founders believe.
Important to protect the technology and product name
– Because we offer an innovative and high-tech solution, while building a new market, it is crucial to ensure that both our trademark and patent rights are in order. This is what Pål Johan From says, CEO and co-founder of Saga Robotics AS. – Since our services are largely based on machine learning, the rights associated with this, as well as the security of the data, are very important. We currently operate internationally, both in the UK and the US. We will continue to scale and expand in the coming years, which means that our (patented) rights must apply in most countries.
They have trademarked the name “Thorvald” to continue building their brand. Their logo is also trademarked. However, they were unable to trademark the company name “Saga Robotics” because many companies have similar names. This makes trademarking “Thorvald” even more important as they continue to build their brand around protected assets. Without it, a competitor could try to capitalize on their work and build success on their foundation.
– As an innovative, new solution provider with roots in academia, it is crucial for us to find the right course of protecting what we can protect eg, through patents, and defenses and moat on top of any public domain parts of our service giving us a competitive advantage that can be sustained.
Paul Johan From
Paul Johan From
The IP strategy is continuously assessed
The company's IP strategy is part of their overall strategy. They conduct continuous assessments of the designs, algorithms, solutions and other IP they develop, and see how this can best be protected through, for example, patenting, securing or other measures.
Parts of their service are developed in collaboration with research institutions and published in scientific journals, so they cannot patent everything. However, they monitor the patent situation of similar players in the market and consider how they should respond if someone claims that they are infringing on the rights of others.
Have experienced competitors imitating
They have experienced that some players in the market are experimenting with solutions similar to theirs, but have not experienced that competitors have directly copied or infringed on solutions they have – or could have – patented. They closely monitor the players who are experimenting with similar solutions.
Uses patent office for certain tasks
When it comes to the application process, we handle most of the patent applications ourselves. However, we use patent offices for several things, including patent searches, input into our application, and any adjustments or additions they may suggest.
Has received a public scholarship
We have previously received research grants and loans through Innovation Norway, as well as capital from private investors. In the later phases, where we are now, intellectual property rights and patenting strategy are being scrutinized even more by private investors.
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The founders' advice to other businesses
“Find the right balance between patenting too early and starting too late. If you haven’t thoroughly validated customer needs, market opportunities, and cost-effectiveness, you risk patenting something you won’t end up using. This would be a ‘too early’ scenario, and it can be challenging for a smaller company with limited resources,” says From.
– On the other hand, if you start the patent process too late, competitors may discover that your solution is gaining traction, create their own version or – in the worst case – patent it before you. Even if you can claim “prior art” in such a situation, there are rogue players, and a legal process will take up unnecessary resources. The broader you draft your patent, the less the risk that it is “too early”, and the stronger your patent will be.
– Before making something publicly available, always consider whether patenting may be possible later – and whether you should wait to publish, concludes From.
