Several CEOs of AI-based patent startups tell Law360 Pulse they recently have held partnership discussions with some of the largest companies in legal technology, a sign that IP is becoming an area of focus in the industry.
Paul Lee, co-founder and CEO of the AI-powered patent platform Patlytics, which has backers that include the legal tech giant Relativity, said the startup has also been approached by some of the other big legal AI players about a potential partnership. Patlytics is currently evaluating the feasibility of connecting its technology with a larger platform.
"The value needs to be at the customer," Lee said. "If that can be better done by putting Patlytics on top of other platforms, then we would be happy to do so."
In July, the AI patent platform Solve Intelligence announced an integration into LexisNexis Legal & Professional. In May, the founders of the legal AI company Harvey were asked during a Reddit "ask me anything" session what type of product they would be interested in acquiring and integrating into Harvey.
"There are amazing point solutions out there — especially in the IP/patent area," Harvey CEO Winston Weinberg wrote in response on Reddit.
Harvey is not actively pursuing any IP acquisitions right now.
Stephanie Curcio, co-founder and CEO of the AI-powered patent research platform NLPatent, told Law360 Pulse that current general legal AI tools don't address the unique needs of IP and patent attorneys. Barring an acquisition or partnership, Curcio said the only way for general AI tools to gain IP functionality is to develop it internally, which would take a lot of resources and time.
There's been no shortage of new IP tech startups in recent years that have emerged thanks to generative AI. Combined with IP knowledge, generative AI is capable of drafting patents, searching for patents, renewing patents, predicting potential patent prosecution and spotting potential IP infringement cases.
"You can't just throw money at the problem and solve it in a blink of an eye," Curcio said. "It would have to be a strategic business decision that they wanted to actively build something. Building trust and credibility in the IP space is something that doesn't happen with the flick of a wrist, either."
Curcio added that NLPatent has engaged in conversations with some of the big legal AI players. While declining to disclose company names, Curcio said that conversations are "advancing" and exploring interoperability, which involves the ability of different systems to communicate and exchange information.
Curcio, a former IP associate at Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, calls the combination of AI and IP law "a perfect storm" for the industry. She said that most IP practices in law firms are unique, with lawyers who often have a science and engineering background, resulting in a natural inclination to work with technology.
"[IP has] its own unique language," Curcio said. "You're working with language in a way that's very obtuse and almost obfuscated in a way to expand the scope of the invention to the benefit of the client."
As IP and patent technology startups emerged in recent years, venture capitalists have taken notice.
A flood of investments has entered these startups. IP and patent startups raised over $600 million in funding during the first half of 2026, the second-highest category in legal tech during the period.
Curcio described the IP community as being a tight-knit community that has all of a sudden been infiltrated by venture capitalists as "Silicon Valley has entered the chat."
Venture capitalists entering a new sector often trigger rapid market transformation, causing valuations to surge, new players to emerge and competitors to consolidate.
There's already been some consolidation in the space this year. Solve Intelligence acquired the startup Palito.ai in April; IP management tech company Anaqua acquired a rival, Patrix, in April; and DeepIP, which offers a patent drafting tool, acquired PatentMaker in June. Those acquisitions came after both Solve Intelligence and DeepIP raised big funding rounds in the past year.
With so many new entrants in the IP space, Curcio said she expects more consolidation.
While NLPatent secured venture capital funding, Curcio said the investors are not pushing the startup in any direction right now as it begins conversations with larger legal tech players.
Curcio predicts that within the next year, some of the large legal tech players will announce at least one integration with an IP technology company, similar to how Harvey formed an integration partnership with the legal AI search tool DeepJudge in May.
--Additional reporting by Matt Perez. Editing by Robert Rudinger.
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