Iprova
Iprova is a Swiss-headquartered AI software company that sells Invention Studio 3, an enterprise platform using proprietary AI models to help corporate R&D, IP, and innovation teams identify, create, evaluate, and document commercially valuable inventions, with specialised tooling for 3GPP standards and patent analysis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLausanne, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Iprova does
Iprova Sàrl is a Swiss-headquartered, private AI software company founded in 2012 that builds and sells an enterprise platform for AI-assisted invention. Its core product, Invention Studio 3, combines proprietary AI models, ontologies, and domain-specific knowledge to continuously monitor millions of scientific, technical, patent, and standards signals and to help R&D, IP, and innovation teams identify, create, evaluate and document commercially valuable inventions. Specialised modules extend the platform into 3GPP telecommunications standards (the Invention Studio 3GPP Standards Tool) and standards-essential patent analysis at portfolio scale (Claims Charting, launched April 2026). Beyond software, Iprova runs an Invention Services business that delivers on-demand inventions in two-week sprints, with a partly contingent commercial model in which a portion of fees is earned only when clients accept the delivered work. The company also co-developed an AI-assisted invention product called Invention Voyager with Microsoft, previewed at the AI-Assisted Invention Summit 2026.
Iprova sells to large global enterprises — primarily R&D, IP/patent, and innovation teams — across technology, telecommunications, healthcare, consumer goods, energy, automotive, and industrials. Named customers include Deutsche Telekom, Philips, Sony, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, BIC (via the BIC-Iprova Invention Lab), EDF, Nokia, Microsoft, STMicroelectronics, Nestlé, Cargill, Beiersdorf, AGC, Centrica, Inmarsat, RB and KPN, with the company stating that all 10 of the world's largest technology companies reference granted patents based on its inventions. Distribution is a direct enterprise sales motion supplemented by the Microsoft Azure Marketplace listing and an integration with Clarivate IPfolio. Operations span offices in Lausanne (HQ at EPFL Innovation Park), London, Cambridge, San Jose and Tokyo, with the development team reporting that over 50% hold doctoral degrees.
The company is founder-led by CEO Julian Nolan, with a CTO (Dr Chris Wright), CSO (Dr Nicholas Walker), and a leadership bench spanning product, standards, and customer success. Scientific advisors include Prof. Martin Jaggi of EPFL's Machine Learning and Optimization Laboratory, Prof. Bill Fischer (MIT/IMD), former Philips CIPO Ruud Peters, and several IP and AI practitioners, signalling a research-grade AI capability rather than a thin wrapper over commodity models.
Iprova firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Iprova
- Legal name
- Iprova Sàrl
- Website
- https://iprova.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Iprova is a Swiss-headquartered AI software company that sells Invention Studio 3, an enterprise platform using proprietary AI models to help corporate R&D, IP, and innovation teams identify, create, evaluate, and document commercially valuable inventions, with specialised tooling for 3GPP standards and patent analysis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Iprova industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI-Assisted Invention Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (51321)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IP Management, Patents & Trademark Software (BPAEAPAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), IP & Patent Information Publishing (Patent/Litigation Analytics, Prior Art) (MPAJACAK), AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)
Keywords
Where Iprova is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lausanne
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Iprova business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Platform Subscription (Invention Studio): Enterprise subscription to the Invention Studio 3 platform, which includes modules for opportunity identification, invention creation, evaluation, and documentation. The platform is hosted on Microsoft Azure and available via the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.
- Invention Services (On-Demand): On-demand invention creation delivered in two-week cycles. Iprova operates a partly contingent model where a portion of fees is earned only when the client chooses to accept delivered inventions. Inventions span chemistry, materials science, FMCG, industrial technologies, and 6G communications.
- Partly Contingent Commercial Model: A portion of Iprova's fees are contingent on the client accepting the delivered inventions. This aligns incentives — Iprova is motivated to create commercially valuable inventions that clients want to adopt.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Iprova product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Iprova sells an enterprise AI-assisted invention platform, Invention Studio 3, that combines machine intelligence with human expertise to identify, create, evaluate and document high-value inventions from millions of scientific, technical, patent and standards signals. The platform is complemented by the 3GPP Standards Tool module, the standalone Claims Charting product, and Invention Services, an on-demand invention delivery service run by multidisciplinary invention engineers in two-week cycles.
Product overview
Iprova's offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture centred on Invention Studio 3, the enterprise software platform for AI-assisted invention that integrates opportunity identification, creation, evaluation, and documentation in a single end-to-end workflow. The platform ships with a built-in 3GPP Standards Tool module for standards-aligned invention in telecommunications, and is complemented by the standalone Claims Charting add-on for 3GPP-based patent analysis. Beyond software, Iprova offers Invention Services — an on-demand managed invention creation service delivered by its invention engineers in two-week sprints, with a partly contingent commercial model. A new co-developed product, Invention Voyager (previewed with Microsoft in May 2026), extends the platform into a world-first AI-assisted invention offering. All 10 of the world's largest technology companies reference granted patents based on Iprova's inventions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Invention Studio 3: Enterprise platform for AI-assisted invention that helps teams identify opportunities, generate inventions, and accelerate time-to-innovation with 20× efficiency gains.
- Invention Studio Standards
- Claims Charting
- Invention Services
Products and services
- Invention Studio 3 The primary enterprise platform for AI-assisted invention, integrating opportunity identification, invention creation, evaluation and documentation in a single end-to-end workflow for enterprise R&D, IP and innovation teams. Delivers claimed 20× faster invention validation and documentation, with a Near Real-Time Signal Detection engine analysing millions of scientific, technical, patent and standards signals, plus the Invention Assistant (AI virtual invention partner) and Business Radar (business-aligned opportunity scoring). Optionally integrates with Clarivate IPfolio for patent prosecution.
- Invention Studio 3GPP Standards Tool A domain-specific, separately marketed module of the Invention Studio platform for 3GPP standards professionals. Continuously tracks, analyses and connects insights across 3GPP contributions in near real-time, automating document ingestion, change detection and insight extraction across working groups to surface new problems, feature proposals, architectural shifts and use-case discussions as high-value invention opportunities for 4G, 5G and upcoming 6G.
- Claims Charting A standalone AI-assisted capability for IP and standards professionals that maps patent claims against 3GPP Technical Specifications. Supports portfolio-level screening across batches of 50–100+ patents, specification identification and structured claims chart generation, with an AI Assistant providing full visibility into search results, patents and draft charts. Charts are fully editable and the product can be used standalone or alongside other Iprova solutions.
- Invention Services An on-demand invention creation service delivered by Iprova's multidisciplinary team of invention engineers spanning chemistry, materials, FMCG, industrial technologies and 6G communications. Inventions are delivered in two-week cycles aligned with client business priorities under a partly contingent commercial model where a portion of fees is earned only when clients choose to accept the delivered inventions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,500+ patented inventions generated for clients
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Iprova
Customer profileNamed customers27 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Iprova technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
Iprova partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, key event partner and industry engagement.
- MicrosoftcoreIprova's Invention Studio platform is hosted on Microsoft Azure, ensuring enterprise-grade security, performance, and compliance. The platform is available through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace (Microsoft AppSource). Microsoft has partnered with Iprova during the Data-Driven Invention Summits, co-presented Invention Voyager (a new AI-assisted invention product) at the 2026 summit, and contributes speakers to Iprova events. Microsoft representatives participate in the AI-Assisted Invention Summit, with Andrew Reid, Commercial Partner Lead at Microsoft Switzerland, publicly endorsing the collaboration.
- ClarivatecoreClarivate has announced a strategic partnership with Iprova to integrate Invention Studio 3 with Clarivate's IPfolio platform. This collaboration creates a seamless workflow from AI-driven invention creation to patent prosecution and portfolio management — from invention capture, development, and filing through to portfolio management.
- IMD Business Schoolkey event partnerThe AI-Assisted Invention Summit is hosted at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 2026 summit took place on 19 May 2026 at IMD. IMD is a venue partner and contributes academic perspectives on AI, innovation, and invention through keynote speakers including Professor Bill Fischer (MIT/IMD).
- ETSIindustry engagementIprova participated in and presented at the ETSI AI & Data Conference, demonstrating its AI-assisted 3GPP standards tool, Claims Charting capability, and Invention Studio 3 updates. Harry Cronin delivered a presentation on using AI within 3GPP-related invention workflows without compromising patentability.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Iprova competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Clarivate (IPfolio): Largest IP management software incumbent via IPfolio, Derwent and PatentSight; directly integrated with Iprova today and represents both a partner and the most significant competitive threat as it broadens its own AI capabilities.
- Questel (Orbit Intelligence): Global IP services and software provider with Orbit Intelligence for patent search and analytics; comparable to Iprova for IP search, watch and competitive intelligence workflows at large enterprises.
- Anaqua: IP management and analytics platform serving corporate IP departments and law firms; competes for the same enterprise IP software budgets and could embed AI-invention features into its portfolio management suite.
- LexisNexis PatentSight: Patent analytics and portfolio benchmarking solution from LexisNexis; overlaps with Iprova's patent analytics and competitive intelligence use cases for enterprise IP strategy teams.
- Wellspring (now part of Clarivate): IP and technology transfer management software now within Clarivate; addresses the same enterprise IP management buyer as Iprova's platform.
Emerging players
- IPRally: AI-based patent search and classification platform; overlaps with Iprova's AI-driven patent analysis but focuses on classification and prior-art search rather than end-to-end invention creation.
- XLSCOUT: AI patent analytics and innovation platform covering patent drafting, searching and invalidity; competes with Iprova for AI-assisted patent and invention workflows at enterprise and law-firm customers.
- Aistemos: Patent analytics and IP strategy platform (Cipher) using classification and AI; comparable to Iprova for enterprise IP strategy and competitive patent intelligence use cases.
Direct peers
- PatSnap: AI-driven IP intelligence and patent analytics platform serving enterprise R&D and IP teams; comparable to Iprova in applying AI to patent and innovation workflows, though focused more on search/analytics than end-to-end invention creation.
Others
- Dassault Systèmes (3DEXPERIENCE / IP): Industrial innovation and PLM platform that participated in Iprova's summit and increasingly overlaps in AI-assisted product innovation workflows; relevant as an adjacent ecosystem player in enterprise R&D.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Iprova social profiles
Digital presenceIprova financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Iprova leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Iprova funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Iprova M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Iprova
What does Iprova do?
Iprova sells an enterprise AI-assisted invention platform, Invention Studio 3, that combines machine intelligence with human expertise to identify, create, evaluate and document high-value inventions from millions of scientific, technical, patent and standards signals. The platform is complemented by the 3GPP Standards Tool module, the standalone Claims Charting product, and Invention Services, an on-demand invention delivery service run by multidisciplinary invention engineers in two-week cycles.
Is Iprova a public or private company?
Iprova is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Iprova founded?
Iprova was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Iprova based?
Iprova is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Iprova make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Platform Subscription (Invention Studio) is the primary driver. The others are invention Services (On-Demand) and partly Contingent Commercial Model.
Who are Iprova's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Clarivate (IPfolio), Questel (Orbit Intelligence), Anaqua, LexisNexis PatentSight and Wellspring (now part of Clarivate). Emerging players are IPRally, XLSCOUT and Aistemos. PatSnap is listed as a direct peer. Dassault Systèmes (3DEXPERIENCE / IP) is listed as an others.
Does Iprova have an API?
No public API is recorded for Iprova.
What industry is Iprova in?
Iprova's product category is AI-Assisted Invention Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAPAN, IP Management, Patents & Trademark Software, with a secondary code of BPAHAMAI, IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.