Smart & Biggar partners with BDC Capital’s Women in Technology Venture Fund to provide IP workshops to Canadian women-led technology start-ups

Smart & Biggar, in partnership with BDC Capital’s Women in Technology Venture Fund, is pleased to present the Women in Tech (WIT) Masterclass series “Intellectual Property for Start-ups.”

“Intellectual property (IP) plays a critical role for Canadian technology companies looking to scale their business and attract capital investments to compete on the world stage,” said Brigide Mattar, engineer and partner at Smart & Biggar. "Women entrepreneurs are often underrepresented in the technology segment and can face challenges when seeking funding. Smart & Biggar is proud to contribute to the success of Canadian innovators by partnering with BDC Capital in this Master Class series to support women-led technology companies in better understanding how to leverage Intellectual Property. ” 

During this three-week virtual series, lawyers and IP experts from Smart & Biggar will offer practical insights and knowledge to help Canadian technology founders and C-suite executives gain:

• An understanding of the business value of intellectual property (IP) and impacts for start-ups;
• An introduction to the different types of IP assets, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets; and how they can be used to protect innovations and create an IP portfolio;
• Strategies on how to build an IP portfolio for growth in the technology sector;
• An understanding of best practices for IP management;
• IP Checklist: tips to prepare start-ups for funding, growth and beyond.

This series is ideally suited for women founders and C-suite executives who are leading Canadian technology start-ups that are venture backed (or will soon be venture backed) and whose IP strategy is a key element for accelerating their business growth.

When/Where:

The sessions will be held online every Wednesday from 12:00 – 1:00p.m. EDT from March 17 – 31, 2021.

The BDC Capital Women in Technology (WIT) Venture Fund is one of the world’s largest venture capital funds dedicated to investing in women-led technology companies and helping to build a robust ecosystem to support women in tech today and in the future. We are unique in that we have a dual mandate: To deliver a return on the investment and make a lasting impact on the Canadian tech ecosystem.

Smart & Biggar is Canada's largest firm practising exclusively in intellectual property and technology law, with offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. We have been leaders in intellectual property and technology law for over a century.