What is the most valuable asset for start-ups? After their personnel, the answer is usually intellectual property. Often this intellectual property is protected as a trade secret, and disclosing its details to potential investors risks losing the part of the trade secret that made it protectable—the secrecy. But many investors are unwilling to sign a confidentiality agreement, and the start-up is caught in a Catch-22. The company risks losing funding if it doesn't make the case to investors regarding the value of its intellectual property, but making the case may threaten the company's ability to protect that most valuable asset. Fortunately, the VLD's Jon Tropp and Eric TeVelde have thought through some options for the entrepreneur facing this situation. Take a look at their white paper, "Protecting Trade Secrets When Looking For Funding," and see if their suggestions might help a start-up you know.
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