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IP LANDSCAPE

Know the patents that matter.
Find your next opportunity.

We analyze patents, claims and competitor activity to identify gaps and flag potential overlaps – helping your team decide where to innovate, invest or partner.

Schedule a Free Strategy Session
Schedule a Free Strategy Session
The world's top companies work with PreScouter
BHP
Anglo American
Baker Hughes
Lhoist
Chevron
European Commission
Hydro
SLB
BHP
Anglo American
Baker Hughes
Lhoist
Chevron
European Commission
Hydro
SLB
BHP
Anglo American
Baker Hughes
Lhoist
Chevron
European Commission
Hydro
SLB
BHP
Anglo American
Baker Hughes
Lhoist
Chevron
European Commission
Hydro
SLB

The World's Top Companies Work With PreScouter

Baker Hughes

Lhoist

Chevron

European Commission

Hydro

SLB

Ørsted

BHP

Anglo American

Baker Hughes

Lhoist

Chevron

European Commission

Hydro

SLB

Ørsted

BHP

Anglo American

Baker Hughes

Lhoist

Chevron

European Commission

Hydro

SLB

Ørsted

BHP

Anglo American

Proven Outcomes

IP landscapes in action.

See how R&D and product teams have used IP landscapes to find whitespace, benchmark patent strength and spot risks before committing to development.

A Fortune 500 Consumer Goods Leader

Turning 3,900+ Competitor Patents into Competitive Clarity

The Challenge

The R&D team could not keep track of thousands of competitor filings spread across categories and geographies, which risked duplicate research and missed first-to-file opportunities.

The Solution

We mapped 3,914 patents across all major players, quantified overlaps and flagged 47 whitespace zones and 23 potential IP conflicts. Real-time dashboards now track new filings, cutting analysis time by 95%.

A Multinational Manufacturer

Benchmarking Patent Strength Against Nine Rivals

The Challenge

The client wanted to know how the quality and strength of its patent portfolio compared with roughly 10 competitors, and how its IP could support future growth.

The Solution

We mapped the active and pending portfolios of 9 major companies, traced 20 years of filings by IPC class and jurisdiction, and completed 4 Intelligence Briefs on priority areas, surfacing new competitors along the way.

A Global Consumer Products Company

Testing Diagnostic IP Strength in Smart Hygiene

The Challenge

The client held strong diagnostic patents in absorbent products, but needed to know whether that IP still gave it an edge as femtech and connected health evolved.

The Solution

We segmented granted patents by fluid type and diagnostic modality, screened independent claims against 2 priority competitors with a patent expert, and showed where the client’s leadership still holds and where rivals are building adjacent positions.

A Major Personal Care Company

Mapping Who Leads Nonwovens R&D for Skin Health

The Challenge

To shape a development strategy for nonwovens that promote skin health, the client needed to know who was patenting what, where activity was growing and where open space remained.

The Solution

We landscaped the patent field to profile top assignees by CPC code, emerging players and filing geography, and ranked the most cited and highest-value patents. The findings revealed whitespace that shaped the client’s product development strategy.

A Dispersant Technology Developer

Decoding the Chemistry Inside Ceramic Capacitor Patents

The Challenge

The client needed to know which dispersant chemistries manufacturers use to stabilize nanoparticles in a specific ceramic capacitor type, with a focus on Asian filings.

The Solution

We reviewed 150 patent families, profiled 65 and grouped nearly 300 compounds into 7 categories in an interactive dashboard. Three categories accounted for about 57% of mentions, showing where to focus development.

defined

A patent search finds documents.
An IP landscape finds direction.

An IP landscape maps the patents, claims and filing activity in a technology area to show who owns what, where innovation is concentrated and where open space remains. At Prescouter, scientists and engineers read the patents behind the numbers, test what we find with industry experts and connect it to your R&D, product and partnership decisions.

The Prescouter Difference

Why choose Prescouter for IP landscapes?

Patent databases give you access, search firms give you documents and law firms give you opinions. We add technical depth and commercial context, and bring it together in one view of where you can build and protect.

Area of Focus
Typical Patent Search
The Prescouter Approach Recommended
Starting Point
Typical Patent Search A keyword search, run before anyone agrees which decision it should support.
The Prescouter Approach The decision comes first. We agree the technology boundary, competitors and questions that matter before the first search string is written.
Search Quality
Typical Patent Search Keyword hits taken at face value, with irrelevant patents left in the set.
The Prescouter Approach Keyword, classification and citation searches, then manual review by scientists who remove noise and keep what genuinely matters.
Technical Depth
Typical Patent Search Analysts sorting patents by title and abstract.
The Prescouter Approach Researchers with science and engineering backgrounds who read the claims and judge what each key patent actually covers.
Commercial Context
Typical Patent Search Filing counts with no link to markets, products or partners.
The Prescouter Approach Patent activity connected to products, market players and technology readiness, so you know which whitespace is worth pursuing.
Expert Validation
Typical Patent Search Conclusions drawn from patent data alone.
The Prescouter Approach Key findings reviewed with patent specialists and industry experts. Potential conflicts are flagged early for your IP counsel to assess.
Decision-Ready Output
Typical Patent Search A static spreadsheet of patent numbers.
The Prescouter Approach Recommendation first, with an interactive dashboard that shows where to build, where to license and where to proceed with care.
Why It Matters

Why invest in IP landscapes

Companies invest in IP landscapes to see the patent field before they commit R&D budget, from crowded areas and open whitespace to rival filing activity and early infringement risk.

Hidden Whitespace

Open space in a technology rarely announces itself. We map filing density across claims, classifications and applications to show where your team can innovate with room to protect what it builds.

Costly IP Blind Spots

A blocking patent found late can stall a launch or force a redesign. We screen the field early and flag claims that overlap your plans, so your counsel can assess them before budget is committed.

Competitor Filing Strategy

Patent filings show where rivals are investing years before products appear. We track who is filing, in which technologies and jurisdictions, and how quickly their activity is growing.

Portfolio Strength and Gaps

Patent counts say little about value. We benchmark the quality, coverage and age of your portfolio against competitors to show where your IP leads, where it is aging and where new filings would add most.

Our Services

Every patent question, answered in context.

Patent Landscape Mapping

See the full patent field around your technology. We map filings by assignee, classification, geography and time to show where innovation is concentrated and where it is thinning out.

Claim & Overlap Screening

Spot potential conflicts early. We screen independent claims against your planned features with patent specialists and flag overlaps for your IP counsel to review before launch.

Portfolio Benchmarking

Measure how your patents compare. We assess portfolio size, quality, citations, coverage and age against key competitors to show where your IP leads and where it trails.

Licensing & Partner Identification

Find the IP holders worth working with. We identify companies, startups and universities with relevant patents and assess them as licensing, acquisition or co-development partners.

Whitespace & Opportunity Analysis

Find room to innovate. We identify low-density areas across claims and applications, test them with industry experts against market need and feasibility, and rank the ones worth pursuing.

Patent Monitoring & Alerts

New filings keep arriving after a study ends. We track competitor and technology filings over time, with dashboards that flag the patents your team needs to see.

How It Works

Our IP landscape process.

Four focused stages take you from the technology question your team needs answered to a clear view of where to build, license or proceed with care.

Define the Technology Scope

We agree the technology boundary, competitors, jurisdictions and decisions the landscape must support, then build search strategies around them.

Search and Clean the Data

We combine keyword, classification and citation searches across global patent databases, then remove irrelevant results so every patent in the set earns its place.

Analyze and Validate

Scientists read the claims behind the trends, map players, filing activity and whitespace, and review key findings with patent specialists and industry experts.

Recommend & Monitor

You receive a clear recommendation and an interactive dashboard showing where to build, license or proceed with care. Where useful, ongoing monitoring tracks new filings.

Start Your IP Landscape Project →
Behind the Analysis

Behind every patent finding.
Every source tested against the rest.

Patent data alone rarely tells the whole story. We combine patent records, claim analysis, technical literature, market data and expert input, and check each against the others before it shapes a recommendation.

IP Evidence Sources

What it adds:
What We Avoid

Four ways IP landscapes go wrong.And what we do instead.

0/4 Solutions revealed
Industries We Serve

Every industry patents differently.
We know where to look.

From composition patents in chemicals to device IP in medtech and battery patents in automotive, we map the IP that shapes each sector and what it means for your R&D.

Life Sciences

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Patent thickets, exclusivity periods and university IP decide who can enter a therapeutic or device space, and when.

Recent engagement

Scored 120 deep brain stimulation technologies on developer, technology and IP, checking market research against patent and clinical trial trends for an international medtech player.

Consumer Markets

Consumer Goods

Ingredient, formulation and device patents shape which product claims a brand can make, and which it can defend.

Recent engagement

Mapped skin microbiome innovation for an applied research organization, pairing IP analysis with expert interviews and making 5 expert introductions.

Industrial Materials

Chemicals & Materials

Composition and process patents decide where a new chemistry can be commercialized, and who already owns the best applications.

Recent engagement

Mapped new applications for zeolites and other porous materials for a chemicals leader, combining patent data with expert input.

Industrial Operations

Manufacturing

Process, equipment and automation patents reveal how competitors are building advantage on the production line.

Recent engagement

Reviewed 31 papers, 5 years of patents and 5 competitor IP portfolios to map AI in process control for a global automation company.

Resources & Energy

Natural Resources

Patents on conversion, storage and equipment design show which energy technologies are maturing and who controls them.

Recent engagement

Reviewed 106 patents and profiled 18 makers, then interviewed experts, to guide piston ring design for oil-free hydrogen compressors.

Consumer Markets

Food & Beverage

Patents and published claims on ingredients and health benefits show where a product can stand out without crowding into protected space.

Recent engagement

Mapped digestive health claims across commercial products, publications and patents for a global pet food company, delivered in an interactive dashboard.

Aerospace

Aerospace & Defense

Long development cycles make early patent and research mapping essential before committing to a technology path.

Recent engagement

Mapped propellant management devices for large cryogenic tanks in microgravity, drawing on 7 expert interviews, academic papers and patents.

Emerging Technology

AI & High Tech

Filing activity moves fast in electronics and AI, so a current map of claims and players is essential before committing R&D.

Recent engagement

Reviewed 150 ceramic capacitor patent families and grouped nearly 300 dispersant compounds into 7 categories in an interactive dashboard.

Mobility

Automotive

Battery, materials and electrification patents decide which suppliers and technologies can scale into the next vehicle platforms.

Recent engagement

Studied competitors, materials and patents in lithium-ion and lead acid battery separators, and interviewed EV battery experts over 4 research rounds.

Advanced Materials

Polymers & Textiles

Fiber, polymer and processing patents decide where a new material can be commercialized and which partners can take it to market.

Recent engagement

Screened 599 patent families, mapped 18 players and shortlisted 4 partners to bring a new polymer fiber into functional textiles.

See our work

The numbers behind stronger IP decisions.

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Enterprise Clients

Global 1000 companies
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Global Experts

Industry expert network
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Patents Reviewed

In published case studies alone
0 %

Client Retention

Year over year
0 %

Less Analysis Time

With live patent dashboards
0 %

Confidential

NDA protected
Schedule Your Free Strategy Session →

Client Praise

Better IP decisions.
In our clients' own words.

R&D, product and IP leaders share how Prescouter helped them read the patent field, find room to innovate and move forward with evidence they could stand behind.

“The technical depth at which Prescouter conducts their research is impressive when compared to other consulting firms.”
Avi Robbins President, Porex Life Sciences Institute & AG Industries Filtration Group
“It’s much more cost-effective to have Prescouter provide the library, literary, and scientific research we need.”
Daryl Sauer Frm Senior Manager, Scientific Assessment AbbVie
“They provided reports with an appropriate amount of detail to explain the technology to someone unfamiliar with it.”
Kendall Sampson-Kitzul Applied Process Technology Engineer Mosaic
“Prescouter was able to compile and analyze a large amount of information related to our project and present it in an organized fashion.”
Luis Figueroa Research and Development Engineer Flowserve
“We found Prescouter to be an agile team that quickly uncovered viable alternative techs and raw materials to evaluate further.”
John Clarke Director of Photochromic Solutions & Systems Transitions Optical
“To have Prescouter on our team is like having an infinite number of experts in every imaginable area of research.”
Inna Maltseva Senior Principal Scientist, R&D CooperVision
“They take time to understand the problem and ask all the right questions to ensure the research is done right first time.”
Dave Coultas Carbon Capture Principal Scientist Infineum
“For the project we asked for, I do not think a more seasoned consultant would have done a better job. They delivered.”
Keith Wilcoxen Head of Strategic Partnerships, R&D Tesaro
“Any time we need unbiased perspective on the subject, Prescouter delivers consistent superior quality intel on our tight timelines.”
Vlad Zaitsev Director of Strategic Insights & Analytics Abbott
“I think right now this is the most cost effective research expenditure we have going like this.”
Alex Gafford VP Research & Development CharBroil
“They’ve been a tremendous partner.”
Christi Putman Senior Director Research and Development Procter and Gamble
“Very well structured and comprehensible meetings and documentation.”
Peter Barth Global Product Manager Jointing Solutions Georg Fischer

Common Inquiries

Frequently asked questions.

An IP landscape is a structured analysis of the patents and patent applications in a technology area. It shows who is filing, what they protect, how activity is changing over time and where open space remains.

Unlike a single patent search, a landscape gives R&D and product teams a big-picture view they can use to set direction, assess competitors and find whitespace.

An IP landscape is a strategic view of a whole technology field. A freedom-to-operate analysis is a legal assessment of whether a specific product may infringe patents in force in specific countries.

Prescouter does not provide legal opinions. Our landscapes flag potential overlaps early, so your IP counsel can decide where a formal freedom-to-operate review is needed.

Whitespace is an area of a technology where few patents exist, which can signal room to innovate and protect new work.

Not every gap is an opportunity, though. We test whitespace against market need, technical feasibility and expert input, so you focus on the open areas worth pursuing.

The core source is patent data from global patent offices and analytics platforms, including filings, families, claims, legal status and citations.

We add technical literature, product and market data, and interviews with patent specialists and industry experts, so the landscape reflects what is happening in the field, not just what has been filed.

Ideally before committing significant R&D budget: When entering a new technology area, setting a product roadmap, evaluating partners or acquisition targets, or responding to a competitor’s filing activity.

Landscapes are also valuable before a launch, to surface potential overlaps while design choices are still open.

Search results are cleaned by scientists who remove irrelevant patents, and key patents are read at the claim level rather than judged by title or abstract.

Findings are then reviewed with patent specialists and industry experts, and anything uncertain is flagged clearly, so your team and counsel can see what each recommendation rests on.

R&D and innovation leaders use them to set technical direction and find room to innovate. Product teams use them to check that new features can be protected and to spot potential overlaps early.

IP and legal teams use landscapes to prioritize formal reviews, while strategy and corporate development teams use them to assess partners, licensing opportunities and acquisition targets.

Let's Talk

Turn patent data into confident decisions.

No sales pitch. Just a focused 30-minute call about the technology you’re exploring, the patents in your way and where an IP landscape could help.

Our Quick Onboarding Pathway

01

Pick a time that works

We’ll send a calendar invite with flexible options across time zones.

02

Quick discovery call

30 minutes to discuss the technology you’re exploring, the competitors and patents that matter, your timeline and the outcomes you expect.

03

Custom proposal

Within 48 hours, you’ll receive a clear scope, search approach, timeline and pricing for your IP landscape project.

Let’s map your IP landscape

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