Intellectual Property (IP) Marketplace

  • An IP Marketplace is an online platform that allows inventors and businesses to list their intellectual property (patents, patent applications, and technologies) for commercialization. Consider it a "matchmaking" site for intellectual property: patent owners voluntarily post details about their inventions (including description, patent number, and inventor contact information) so that investors or businesses can discover, license, or purchase these technologies. Such marketplaces increase the visibility of IP assets and make it easier to find partners.
    Intellectual Property Marketplace helps Ethiopian inventors commercialize their ideas. Patentees may submit a consent form to have their granted patents or patent applications listed. Each list includes the invention type, patent holder, filing/grant date, and licensing terms. Interested parties can browse the platform and submit licensing requests using the provided form. The platform aims to centralize transactions by allowing inventors to reach a larger audience and investors to more easily find ready-to-license technologies.
    IP marketplaces bring several advantages: they increase visibility of inventions by making them publicly known, attract a larger pool of potential licensees (including international investors), and provide standardized, transparent ways to compare and value technologies. By hosting multiple listings in one place, marketplaces reduce the effort of searching and help match demands (industry needs) with supply (inventor offerings). For inventors, marketplaces can also highlight their credibility and show the “market readiness” of their technologies, which may strengthen negotiations.
  • How it works:-
  • For inventors: After filing a patent or obtaining a grant, the inventor (or assignee) submits a brief application to the EIPA platform. This includes a description of the invention and contact information. Once approved, the invention is listed in the Marketplace. Listing is voluntary and subject to the inventor's consent.
  • For investors/companies: Anyone looking for new technologies (local firms, foreign partners, or R&D investors) can search the Marketplace or browse categories such as agriculture, ICT, and manufacturing. If they find a suitable technology, they submit an expression of interest. The IP owner is then notified, and they can negotiate licensing terms. This streamlines the discovery process and improves transparency.
Terms of Use
Forms
IP Marketplace