EPI

What EPI does

Founded in 1977 under the European Patent Convention (EPC), the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi) is the sole statutory professional body for European Patent Attorneys entitled to practise before the EPO. Headquartered in Munich, EPI serves more than 12,500 qualified Professional Representatives across 40 member states of the European Patent Organisation, with the Republic of Moldova joining as the 40th member state on 1 June 2026. Its mission centers on maintaining professional standards, delivering continuing professional education (CPE), supporting candidates through the European Qualifying Examination (EQE), and representing practitioner interests in EPO policy and rule-making through SACEPO and working groups.

EPI's product portfolio spans publications, education, certification, and member services. The quarterly epi Information journal reaches the full membership, while education offerings include EQE Preparation Training, Mock EQE examinations (520 EUR per paper, with a 50% student discount), tutoring sessions (180 EUR per paper), and seminars (220 EUR). The epi-learning platform hosts online CPE, the EPAC programme extends certification to administrative staff, and the epi Students Mentoring Programme and Student Summit 2026 build pipeline engagement. The institute also arranges IPRISK, an optional professional liability insurance product under a framework agreement with Lloyd's, and runs targeted educational series on the Unified Patent Court.

The institute is funded through annual member subscriptions supplemented by transactional educational fees. Governance rests on a Council (most recently constituted for 2026-2029), Board, Presidium, and more than a dozen standing committees covering professional conduct, biotechnology, litigation, harmonisation, professional education, finances, and diversity and inclusion. EPI is an independent international institution with no parent entity and no subsidiaries; current executive officers are President Peter R. Thomsen, Secretary-General Magdalena Augustyniak, and Treasurer Zsolt Szentpéteri. In November 2024 the Council adopted formal guidelines on responsible use of generative AI by patent attorneys, signalling active policy positioning at the intersection of AI and European patent practice.

Name

EPI

Legal name

Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office / European Patent Institute / epi

Website

https://patentepi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Founded in 1977 under the European Patent Convention, EPI is the sole statutory professional body for European Patent Attorneys, serving 12,500+ members across 40 member states with CPE education, EQE preparation, certification, publications, and representation in EPO policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services for Patent Attorneys

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

Keywords

• Patent attorney association
• Professional education
• EQE preparation
• Patent practice training
• IP professional services

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Subscription: EPI generates revenue through annual subscription fees from its members (Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office). The institute also offers fee-based educational programs, training sessions, mock EQEs, and tutor consultation services.
2. Educational Services: Revenue from educational services including tutoring fees, seminar fees, mock EQE examination fees, and EPAC certification preparation courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EPI is the statutory professional institute established under the European Patent Convention (EPC) to represent European Patent Attorneys. It delivers member services including continuing professional education, EQE preparation training, certification programs (EPAC), a quarterly journal (epi Information), mentoring for EQE candidates, and an optional professional liability insurance scheme (IPRISK through Lloyd's). It also engages in advocacy and policy input on European patent practice and operates the epi-learning digital platform.

Product overview

EPI (Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office) is a professional institute established under the European Patent Convention. It offers a portfolio of member services including the quarterly epi Information journal, professional education programs through EQE Preparation Training, Mock EQE examinations, the EPAC certification program, and the epi-learning online platform for continuing professional education. Additional services include the optional IPRISK professional liability insurance arranged with Lloyd's, the epi Students Mentoring Programme, and access to meeting facilities at its Munich headquarters. The institute organizes events including Student Summit 2026 and UPC webinar series on substantive patent law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lloyd's (IPRISK)coreOthersEPI has established a framework agreement with Lloyd's insurance market to provide professional liability insurance (IPRISK) specifically designed for European Patent Attorneys. This is a voluntary insurance option available to members.
• European Patent Office (EPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPI operates in close cooperation with the European Patent Office as the professional body for representatives before the EPO. The institute participates in SACEPO (Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO) and contributes to EPO working groups on rules, guidelines, quality, and patent documentation.
• EPO Examination SecretariatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe EPO Examination Secretariat is responsible for the European Qualifying Examination (EQE). EPI works closely with the EPO on examination matters, tutoring, and professional education for patent attorneys.
• European Intellectual Property Institutes Network (EIPIN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIPIN is a network of European IP institutes that promotes education and research in intellectual property. EPI maintains educational partnerships with EIPIN-affiliated institutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MARQUES (Association of European Trade Mark Owners): European association for trademark owners and brand professionals. Comparable to EPI in its European scope and practitioner-engagement focus, but specialized in trademarks rather than patents and not established under a statutory convention equivalent to the EPC.
• International Trademark Association (INTA): Global association of trademark owners and practitioners. Adjacent peer with overlapping practitioner-education and policy-advocacy functions, but focused on trademark rather than patent practice and not organized around a statutory qualification exam equivalent to the EQE.
• Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO): US-based trade association primarily representing IP owners (corporates) rather than attorneys. Overlaps with EPI in policy advocacy on patent practice, but serves the demand side of the market instead of practitioner-side education and qualification.
• Licensing Executives Society International (LESI): International society for IP licensing professionals. Overlaps with EPI on IP education and professional networking, but covers technology transfer and licensing rather than patent prosecution and representation before the EPO.

Others

• European Patent Office (EPO): Intergovernmental organization that grants European patents and administers the EQE. Not a competitor but a deeply linked counterparty: EPI is the recognized professional body for representatives before the EPO and co-stewards the EQE through the Examination Secretariat.

Direct peers

• FICPI (International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys): International federation of IP attorneys in private practice. Comparable to EPI as a global network for patent attorneys, but operates as a federation of national associations rather than as the statutory professional body for a single supranational jurisdiction like EPI does for the EPO.
• Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JIPA): Japan's national association of patent attorneys (benrishi). Comparable to EPI as a statutory professional body with qualification examinations, CPE programs, and policy advocacy on patent practice before the Japan Patent Office.
• American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA): US national bar association for IP lawyers. Direct functional peer to EPI as a membership organization providing IP-specific education, amicus briefs, and policy advocacy, though operating within a US-litigation-centric model rather than the European patent-attorney framework.
• Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA): UK professional body for chartered patent attorneys. Direct peer to EPI as a national patent attorney association with equivalent membership, qualification, and continuing professional education functions, though serving only UK-qualified attorneys rather than pan-European.

Emerging players

• Institute of Patent and Trademark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA): Australian national body for patent and trademark attorneys. Functional peer to EPI in representing qualified IP practitioners and providing CPE, though smaller and nationally scoped rather than multi-jurisdictional.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/patentepi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 EPI