Pioneered at TU Darmstadt, the voteless virtual shares are now being tested across Germany
Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. Photo credits: TU Darmstadt / Jannik Hoffmann
The Technical University of Darmstadt has described how an innovative method for managing intellectual property rights has reshaped its relationship with its spin-out companies.
Under the IP4Shares model, instead of spin-outs paying the university to licence intellectual property, that property transfers to the company and in exchange the university receives “virtual shares” that do not include voting rights.
“From our experience, it’s a win-win, for everyone. Founders move on fast, investors see a clear structure and we benefit when the company succeeds,” said Harald Holzer, managing director of Highest, TU Darmstadt’s innovation and start-up centre, during the EU’s Research and Innovation Days event on September 17.
The concept of virtual shares has been picked up by German innovation agency Sprind, which is https://www.sprind.org/en/words/magazine/ip…
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