The Unprecedented Speed of Change
The IP landscape is transforming faster than anyone can track. In just 24 months:
- LLMs went from curiosities to passing the patent bar
- AI tools that cost $100,000 are now free and 10x better
- Patent databases charging thousands yearly opened their APIs
- "Prompt engineering" already became obsolete as AI got smarter
IP firms face an impossible choice: invest heavily in platforms that might be obsolete next quarter, or risk falling behind. Meanwhile, solo practitioners using free tools like Claude are outperforming firms with million-dollar tech budgets.
About SafeIdea
SafeIdea is a startup founded by serial entrepreneurs with unique credentials for this moment:
Cartwright Reed:
- Developed and created a patent portfolio for a multipoint video collaboration platform and licensed it to Apple and Microsoft
- Co-founded and created the Iofy digital media platform used by Simon & Schuster and Ingram Corporation
- Co-founded and developed IP for SelfStudy, an AI medical training platform adopted by 30+ medical institutes (acquired 2022)
Andreas Richter:
- Chief Scientist at LUKSO blockchain ($35M stored value, focused on immutable provenance)
- Former Chief Scientist at Law Manager (popular case management system acquired by Mitratech)
As inventors with our own patent portfolios, we understand IP from both sides.
We're not building another "AI patent platform." Instead, we're:
- Integrating existing AI/blockchain tools to slash IP costs and hours
- Creating specific services that weren't possible before
- Helping firms navigate without betting on soon-obsolete platforms
The Claude Approach: Why Simple Wins
After months of experimentation, here's what we learned: for most IP work, using Claude directly is the smartest approach.
Consider the alternatives:
- Patent platforms that lock you into their workflows ($50K-200K/year)
- Custom AI models requiring constant retraining
- Complex integrations that break with every update
Now consider Claude:
- Understands patents conceptually, today, without special training
- Connects to free patent databases with simple copy-paste
- Costs $25/month per user (team version)
- Gets smarter every few months automatically
Why This Matters for Smaller Firms
Direct AI Leadership: You're aligning with Anthropic, one of the "big three" with OpenAI and Google. Their tools are the gold standard for agentic development.
No Middleman Risk: Your vendor might disappear; Anthropic won't. They just completed a $13 billion Series F at a $183 billion valuation and are defining AI's future.
Instant Innovation: When Anthropic releases new capabilities, you get them immediately. No vendor delays, no extra fees.
Competitive Parity: While bigger law firms get committee approval for new platforms, you're already using Claude to deliver better work faster.
