E Blum

What E Blum does

E. Blum & Co. AG (referred to in firmographic data as "E Blum") is a Swiss intellectual property law firm founded in 1878 by Emil Blum and headquartered in the Franklinturm building at Hofwiesenstrasse 349, Zurich. The firm operates as a Swiss Aktiengesellschaft (CHE-107.825.798) and has functioned continuously for over 145 years as one of Switzerland's leading patent and trademark attorney practices. It is privately held with no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional shareholders.

The firm's service offering covers the full spectrum of intellectual property law, structured into roughly fifteen core practice areas: patent prosecution and litigation (including opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office and the Swiss Federal Patent Court), trademark registration and portfolio management, design protection, domain name registration and disputes, copyright (including software and open-source licensing), freedom-to-operate and prior-art searches, license agreements and IP assignments, R&D contracts, IP litigation and infringement proceedings, IP due diligence for M&A, IP strategy consulting, Innosuisse coaching for start-ups and scale-ups, Swiss patent box tax advisory, and ongoing IP portfolio administration. Underlying this practice, the firm claims specialist technical coverage across 40+ technology domains including artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum computing, blockchain, cryptography, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medtech, MEMS, nanotechnology, and advanced engineering disciplines.

The business model is fee-based professional services delivery, with quoted engagements following free 20-minute initial consultations booked online via Calendly. The team comprises approximately 14-15 named senior professionals (partners, patent attorneys, trademark attorneys, and attorneys-at-law) supported by paralegals and an IT administrator. Many attorneys hold PhDs, sit part-time as judges at the Swiss Federal Patent Court and commercial court, teach at ETH Zurich, ZHAW, and CEIPI, and have prior in-house IP experience at IBM Research Zurich, Philips Intellectual Property & Standards, Siemens, and Sicpa Holding. The firm serves innovative companies and individual inventors across Swiss industries, with no named customer logos disclosed and no geographic footprint beyond Switzerland.

Name

E Blum

Legal name

E. Blum & Co. AG

Website

https://eblum.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

E. Blum & Co. AG is a Zurich-based Swiss intellectual property law firm founded in 1878, providing patent prosecution, trademark, design, copyright, and IP litigation services to innovative companies and inventors across 40+ technology areas, including AI, biotech, quantum, and medtech.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), All Other Legal Services (541199), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAMAA

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent Services

SECONDARYBPAHAMAB

Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Intellectual Property (IP) & Patent Services

SECONDARYBPAHALAI

Due Diligence & Investigative Research

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

Keywords

• Patent prosecution services
• Trademark registration
• Intellectual property law
• Design protection services
• IP litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional IP Legal Services: Fee-based professional services for intellectual property matters including patent prosecution, trademark registration, design protection, IP litigation, licensing agreements, and strategic IP consulting

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

E. Blum & Co. AG is a Swiss patent and trademark attorney firm providing comprehensive intellectual property legal services from its Zurich office. Its core offerings include patent prosecution and litigation, trademark registration and portfolio management, design protection, copyright and domain name services, IP due diligence, IP strategy consulting, license and R&D contract drafting, Innosuisse coaching, and Swiss patent box tax advisory. Services are delivered by specialized attorneys with technical expertise spanning 40+ technology areas, including AI/ML, quantum computing, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and advanced engineering disciplines.

Product overview

E. Blum & Co. AG is a Swiss patent and trademark attorney law firm providing comprehensive intellectual property legal services from its Zurich office. Founded in 1878, the firm offers a unified suite of legal services rather than a software product platform. The core offering encompasses patent prosecution and litigation, trademark registration and portfolio management, design protection, copyright services, domain name protection, IP due diligence, IP strategy consulting, and specialized services including Innosuisse coaching and Swiss patent box advisory. Services are delivered by a team of patent attorneys, trademark attorneys, and lawyers with expertise spanning multiple technical disciplines including biotechnology, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, mechanical and electrical engineering, information technology, and life sciences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Protection Services Patent prosecution, drafting, and prosecution of patent applications; opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office and the Swiss Federal Patent Court; expert opinions and litigation in patent matters. Targeted at innovative enterprises and inventors across technology sectors.
• Trademark Registration Services Trademark registration, prosecution, opposition proceedings, and trademark portfolio management across multiple jurisdictions for brand-owning companies and individuals.
• Design Protection Services Design protection services including registration and prosecution of design applications.
• Domain Name Services Domain name registration, protection, and dispute resolution services.
• Copyright Services Copyright protection services including advice on software copyright, open source licensing, and general copyright matters.
• IP Search Services Intellectual property searches including patentability searches, freedom-to-operate searches, and prior art searches.
• License Agreements and IP Assignment Services Drafting and negotiation of license agreements, technology transfer agreements, and IP assignment contracts.
• R&D Contract Services Research and development contract drafting and negotiation services.
• IP Disputes and Infringement Litigation Services IP litigation services including patent infringement lawsuits, invalidity proceedings, and dispute resolution before the Swiss Federal Patent Court.
• IP Due Diligence Services Intellectual property due diligence services for mergers, acquisitions, and investments.
• IP Strategy Services Strategic IP advisory services including patent portfolio management and IP optimization strategies.
• Innosuisse Coaching Services Innovation coaching services accredited by Innosuisse for Swiss start-ups and scale-ups.
• Patent Box Advisory Services Swiss patent box advisory services for tax optimization on IP income.
• IP Portfolio Management and Administration Services Ongoing administration and management of intellectual property portfolios including renewals and filings.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• InnosuissecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerE. Blum serves as approved Innosuisse coaches, providing startup coaching and scale-up coaching services for Swiss innovators. Multiple attorneys are accredited as Innosuisse Special Coaches.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rentsch Partner AG: Swiss IP and commercial law firm with similar full-service IP offerings including patent prosecution, trademark registration, and litigation. Most comparable as a domestic boutique serving the same Swiss innovator segment.
• Isler & Pedrazzini AG: Zurich-based patent and trademark attorney firm offering overlapping IP services including patents, trademarks, designs, and litigation. Direct competitor in the same Swiss IP boutique segment.
• BOVARD AG: Swiss IP boutique specializing in patent and trademark prosecution with technical expertise across engineering and life sciences. Comparable size and service mix to E. Blum.
• Hepp Wenger Ryffel AG: Swiss IP law firm with parallel patent and trademark practice serving domestic clients. Closely matches E. Blum's positioning as a mid-sized Swiss IP boutique.
• IP Partners (Schweiz) AG: Swiss IP boutique focused on patent prosecution and IP strategy for innovative companies. Direct competitor for the same Swiss mid-market and SME inventor segment.

Broad incumbents

• Maiwald GmbH: One of Germany's largest IP boutiques with European patent prosecution and litigation across chemistry, pharma, biotech, and engineering. Larger scale than E. Blum but directly comparable in service model.
• Hoffmann Eitle: Leading European IP law firm with offices across Germany, Spain, UK, and Netherlands offering comprehensive patent and trademark services. Represents the international IP incumbent that E. Blum competes against for sophisticated cross-border work.
• Marks & Clerk: Global IP services firm with offices across Europe, Asia, and North America. Comparable patent and trademark prosecution services but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Grünecker Patent- und Rechtsanwälte: One of Germany's largest IP law firms offering patent prosecution, trademark, and litigation services. Comparable service lines at a much larger scale, representative of the international competitor set.

Others

• Clariant (Patent Department) - corporate IP benchmark: Large Swiss specialty chemicals company with a significant in-house IP function that interacts with external firms like E. Blum. Representative of the Swiss corporate IP buyer ecosystem and the kind of in-house capability the firm competes against for strategic mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eblum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about E Blum