What do investors check first in patent due diligence?
Reviewed by
Dominic Davies, patent attorney (20+ years)
· Last reviewed
September 17, 2026
Ownership. They verify that every named inventor has signed an assignment to the company and that the assignments are recorded at the USPTO or the relevant office. A missing assignment from a departed co-founder or contractor is the most common defect and can stall or reprice a round.
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