Intellectual Property Consulting to VC?

I recently graduated from an MSF program and will be starting with a Big 4 firm in their intellectual property practice. They assist clients (mostly F500 firms and a few VC funds) with licensing, valuation and transactions of IP. I have a background in electrical engineering and hence found the space really exciting as it gave me the opportunity to work with new technologies from a financial/commercialization perspective. In the long term, I am hoping to break into VC.

Any idea if this experience would help me break in down the road? I also have the opportunity to switch to the transaction advisory side within the TMT group, would this make more sense?

Thanks for all the input!

 
Best Response

I worked on two VC funds - one barely valued IP or considered it during DD. The other valued it incredibly and almost always hires a law firm's paten team to do the various searches necessary to get comfortible before closing the deal.

The fund had both a MD and a VP with extensive IP backgrounds (former head of R&D at fortune500 & head of tech transfer office at large school) but they still always hired a law firm to do the conclusive research as it wasn't outrageously expensive at the VC level (usually under $10k per deal).

Perhaps it could help you on the more life science focused deals but still, I really think the IP side is only around 10% of the transaction process. My $0.02...

Now, your MSF and electrical engineering background is compelling. I'd say you'd be a better candidate if you take that background and get some transaction experience.

"If you want to succeed in this life, you need to understand that duty comes before rights and that responsibility precedes opportunity."
 

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