NLO
NLO is a full-service European intellectual property consultancy founded in 1888, offering patent, trademark, design, and IP strategy services across chemistry, life sciences, telecom/software, and engineering sectors to startups, research institutes, and multinationals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1888
- HeadquartersThe Hague, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NLO does
NLO (legal entity B.V. Nederlandsch Octrooibureau) is a full-service European intellectual property consultancy founded in 1888 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. The firm provides patent prosecution, trademark registration, design protection, and broader IP strategy services — including portfolio management and freedom-to-operate analyses — before the European Patent Office, the USPTO, and other international jurisdictions. Its practice is organized around four technical sectors (Chemistry/Pharma, Life Sciences, Telecommunications & Software, and Physics & Engineering), supplemented by specialized focus groups in Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare IP, U.S. Practice, Unitary Patent, and EPO Case Law. The firm employs 70 patent attorneys and 20 trademark attorneys across its main practice and the wholly-owned subsidiary NLO Shieldmark B.V., operating from four Dutch offices in The Hague, Amsterdam, Ede, and Eindhoven.
NLO's revenue model is professional services-based, with engagements quoted on a per-matter basis reflecting service type, complexity, and jurisdiction. The client base spans startups, research institutes, and multinationals across verticals such as alternative proteins (documented clients include Paleo and Protix), cancer therapeutics, automotive, and nanotechnology. The firm has deployed AI-powered prior art search tooling applied in EPO opposition proceedings, where 163 live cases (99 offensive, 64 defensive) demonstrate active litigation capacity. In January 2026 NLO combined with Ipsilon to form a unified European IP practice, with five new partners joining the combined entity; no public revenue, ownership, or funding disclosures are available.
NLO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NLO
- Legal name
- B.V. Nederlandsch Octrooibureau
- Website
- https://nlo.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1888
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- NLO is a full-service European intellectual property consultancy founded in 1888, offering patent, trademark, design, and IP strategy services across chemistry, life sciences, telecom/software, and engineering sectors to startups, research institutes, and multinationals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NLO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intellectual Property Legal Services
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IP Filing, Annuities & Renewals Administration (BPAHAMAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis (BPAHAMAG), IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK), Text Analytics & Information Extraction (NER, classification, sentiment) (HDAAADAA)
Keywords
Where NLO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- The Hague
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
NLO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Patent Services: Professional services for patent drafting, prosecution, opposition, and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office, USPTO, and other jurisdictions.
- Trademark Services: Trademark registration and protection services including international trademark strategy, registration across borders, and maintenance.
- Design Services: Industrial design protection services including EU Design Reform compliance and international design registration.
- IP Services: Additional intellectual property services including IP portfolio management, freedom-to-operate analyses, and strategic IP consulting.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
NLO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NLO is a full-service European intellectual property consultancy firm providing expert patent, trademark, design, and IP services. The firm delivers specialized patent drafting, prosecution, opposition, and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office and other jurisdictions, along with trademark registration and design protection services across Benelux, EU, and international markets. NLO operates with 70 patent attorneys and 20 trademark attorneys organized across four Dutch offices and five industry sector practices (Chemistry, Pharma, Life Sciences, Telecom & Software, Physics & Engineering).
Product overview
NLO is one of Europe's leading intellectual property firms offering a comprehensive suite of IP services through its core practice areas: Patents, Trademarks, Designs, and IP Services. The firm operates across five key industry sectors (Chemistry/Pharma, Life Sciences, Telecommunications & Software, and Physics & Engineering) and maintains specialized focus groups in Artificial Intelligence, U.S. Practice, Unitary Patent, and Healthcare IP. NLO also operates NLO Shieldmark as its dedicated trademark and design practice. The firm is headquartered in The Hague with additional offices in Amsterdam, Ede, and Eindhoven, Netherlands, and has recently combined with Ipsilon to form a larger European IP practice. Client-facing content includes the IP Masterclass and Patent Case Law podcasts. NLO does not offer a software product or platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Patent Services Comprehensive patent protection services including drafting, prosecution, oppositions, and appeals before the European Patent Office (EPO), USPTO, and other jurisdictions. Designed for innovative companies across chemistry, pharma, life sciences, telecommunications, software, and engineering sectors.
- Trademark Services
- Design Services
- IP Services
- Opposition and Appeal Proceedings
- Unitary Patent Services
- U.S. Practice
- Artificial Intelligence Focus Group
- Healthcare IP
- NLO Shieldmark
- Chemistry Sector IP Services
- Life Sciences Sector IP Services
- Telecommunications and Software Sector IP Services
- Physics and Engineering Sector IP Services
- Pharma Sector IP Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 13% opposition rate at EPO for food chemistry patents vs 4% average across all technology sectors
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NLO
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
NLO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
NLO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- IpsilonflagshipNLO and Ipsilon have joined forces to unite two of Europe's most specialized IP practices. This combination creates one global IP team with expanded capabilities and expertise. The partnership represents a significant strategic merger of two leading European IP firms, bringing together specialized practices in patents and trademarks.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
NLO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bird & Bird: International law firm with a large IP practice covering patents, trademarks, and IP litigation across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. While NLO is more specialized, Bird & Bird competes for the same multinational IP mandates and represents a much larger incumbent option for clients.
- Hogan Lovells: Global law firm with a substantial IP practice spanning patent prosecution, litigation, and licensing across major markets. Competes with NLO for high-end multinational IP mandates, offering broader global reach but less specialized focus on the Dutch/EPO bench.
Direct peers
- Marks & Clerk: One of Europe's largest IP firms with a broad patent and trademark practice across multiple jurisdictions. Direct competitor to NLO in European patent prosecution, with deeper international footprint that creates competitive pressure on cross-border mandates.
- Mewburn Ellis: UK-based IP firm with a strong patent prosecution practice in chemistry, life sciences, and engineering. Direct European competitor to NLO for international clients seeking multi-jurisdiction patent coverage in the UK and continental Europe.
- V.O. Patents & Trademarks: Major Dutch IP consultancy with patent and trademark attorneys operating from The Hague and other European locations. Head-to-head competitor to NLO across patent prosecution, opposition, and trademark registration, with overlapping sector focus in chemistry, life sciences, and high-tech.
- De Vries & Metman: Eindhoven-based Dutch IP firm with patent attorneys covering high-tech, electronics, and mechanical engineering sectors. Direct regional competitor to NLO, particularly in the Eindhoven high-tech cluster where NLO also has an office.
- EP&C: Dutch IP firm based in The Hague and Eindhoven providing patent and trademark services across high-tech, chemistry, and life sciences. Direct mid-sized competitor to NLO with similar sector focus and opposition practice at the EPO.
- Arnold & Siedsma: Leading Dutch IP firm with patent and trademark attorneys serving chemistry, life sciences, engineering, and high-tech sectors. Direct competitor to NLO in the Netherlands and Benelux, with comparable mid-sized attorney bench and full-service IP offering including opposition proceedings at the EPO.
- AOMB: Amsterdam-based IP firm specializing in patent and trademark services for chemistry, pharma, biotech, and high-tech clients. Direct Dutch competitor to NLO, with similar mid-market positioning and focus on EPO prosecution and oppositions.
- Hoyng ROKH Monegier: Leading Benelux IP litigation and prosecution firm with offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and Düsseldorf. Direct competitor to NLO in patent litigation and opposition work, especially in UPC and EPO matters, and a likely integration target or merger counterpart.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
NLO social profiles
Digital presenceNLO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NLO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
NLO subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
NLO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NLO 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 NLO
What does NLO do?
NLO is a full-service European intellectual property consultancy firm providing expert patent, trademark, design, and IP services. The firm delivers specialized patent drafting, prosecution, opposition, and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office and other jurisdictions, along with trademark registration and design protection services across Benelux, EU, and international markets. NLO operates with 70 patent attorneys and 20 trademark attorneys organized across four Dutch offices and five industry sector practices (Chemistry, Pharma, Life Sciences, Telecom & Software, Physics & Engineering).
Is NLO a public or private company?
NLO is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was NLO founded?
NLO was founded in 1888. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is NLO based?
NLO is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does NLO make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Patent Services are the primary driver. The others are trademark Services, design Services and IP Services.
Who are NLO's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bird & Bird and Hogan Lovells. Direct peers are Marks & Clerk, Mewburn Ellis, V.O. Patents & Trademarks, De Vries & Metman, EP&C, Arnold & Siedsma, AOMB and Hoyng ROKH Monegier.
Does NLO have an API?
No public API is recorded for NLO.
What industry is NLO in?
NLO's product category is Intellectual Property Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAJ, IP Filing, Annuities & Renewals Administration, with a secondary code of BPAHAMAI, IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8111.