ipQuants AG is pleased to announce a long-term strategic partnership with HGF, one of Europe's leading firms of intellectual property (IP) specialists, building on HGF's established use of the Qthena platform within its patent practice.
The partnership will support HGF's continued adoption of specialist AI tools designed for patent professionals, complementing the firm's broader technology and AI strategy. Qthena is used by HGF patent attorneys across a range of activities, including patent drafting, office action responses, oppositions, appeals, and prior art analysis.
The partnership follows several years of practical use of Qthena by HGF attorneys on client work. This experience, together with feedback from practitioners across the firm, has informed HGF's decision to develop its relationship with ipQuants on a longer-term basis.
Supporting the Future of IP Practice
HGF's approach to AI combines broader technology capabilities with specialist tools designed for particular areas of legal and professional practice. Within patent work, Qthena provides attorneys with AI-enabled tools and workflows while ensuring that professionals remain responsible for substantive legal decisions and the quality of client advice.
The aim is to use technology where it can improve efficiency, consistency, and quality, while allowing attorneys to devote more time to strategic advice and higher-value client work.
Dr. Chris Moore, Partner at HGF, commented:
"It is imperative that our attorneys have the tools they need to work smarter, drive greater efficiencies and continuously improve quality. Qthena provides a valuable set of specialist tools for our patent attorneys.
We have used Qthena for a number of years, and the feedback from our attorneys is that it integrates well into their workflows, whether for patent drafting, office action responses, or complex oppositions and appeals. The Qthena team understands the practical realities of how patent attorneys work, and we look forward to continuing our partnership as both the technology and our use of AI evolve."
Security and Strategic Collaboration
The responsible adoption of AI requires appropriate standards of data security, governance, and technical reliability. HGF's work with ipQuants reflects these requirements and forms part of the firm's wider approach to adopting AI technologies securely and responsibly.
Richard Hodkinson, CTO at HGF, added:
"Becoming a future-ready firm requires a technical infrastructure that is both highly innovative and exceptionally secure. Our strategic decision to partner with ipQuants on a long-term basis is grounded in years of successful testing and team feedback. Qthena checked every box for us, delivering robust, legal-grade security and seamless integration into our daily IT ecosystem. This partnership gives our IT and legal teams complete confidence, allowing us to successfully scale secure AI capabilities across our international offices."
Tony Afram, CEO of ipQuants AG, said:
"We are delighted to enter this long-term strategic partnership with HGF. Their continued use of Qthena reflects the growing role that specialized, secure AI tools can play in modern intellectual property practice.
We are proud that Qthena has earned the trust of HGF's patent professionals through several years of practical use, and we look forward to continuing to work with HGF as we develop the next generation of AI-powered patent workflows."
Developing New AI-Enabled Workflows
As generative AI continues to evolve, the Qthena team is developing new capabilities, including agentic workflows designed to support more complex intellectual property processes while keeping attorneys in control of substantive legal decisions. Backed by Questel, Qthena can develop and deliver these workflows faster and to a higher standard by drawing on Questel's proprietary technology, unique IP data assets and deep domain expertise.
As part of the partnership, HGF will have the opportunity to evaluate these capabilities and work with the Qthena team on specialist workflows relevant to its patent practice.
This collaboration will sit alongside HGF's broader program of investment in AI and technology, with individual technologies selected according to the needs of different practices, professionals and clients.