ESADE researcher launches book on innovation

A global team of multidisciplinary experts, led by Constance Lutolf-Carroll a lecturer at ESADE Business School, Spain, and co-founder of Swiss technology company Netspan AG, has published From Innovation to Cash Flows, a book designed to guide high-tech entrepreneurs through every stage of turning a new invention into a profitable business.

From Innovation to Cash Flows aims to help technology entrepreneurs address the market challenges they face in creating viable business models, sustaining cash flows, and generating profits. Lutolf-Carroll’s co-authors are Antti Pirnes, chairman of business and intelligence company Patiq Ltd, Anthony Indaimo, chairman of international law firm Withers LLP, and Tom Brand, partner at W.P. Thompson & Co., European Patent Attorneys.

The authors aim to offer insight into the creative element of the entrepreneurial process, essential intellectual property law for the protection of inventions, and strategies to grow or restructure a business and secure investment. Balancing the needs of the novice with the expectations of the expert, the book and its website contain practical stories, real-life examples, pertinent legal documents, financial tools, strategy frameworks, and self-learning cases to help readers launch their ventures and take them to the next stage of growth.

The ins-and-outs of nondisclosure agreements, investor heads of terms, technology licensing contracts, and due diligence are explained, along with discussions of how to file patent applications, and a comparison of English and US trademarks, copyright and trade secrecy laws.

Lütolf-Carroll said, “The management teams who lead high-tech businesses today must possess a broad skill-set and extensive breadth of interdisciplinary know-how – ranging from in-depth technical expertise to a keen understanding of local customer needs, patent law, business models, and finance. We wrote this book to help all entrepreneurs – aspiring and experienced  – address the tough challenges they are facing in these turbulent times.”