At Cube Camp-III: the program of Cube Incubation (Teknopark İstanbul) for deep-tech entrepreneurs: Vircon Legal co-founder Erdem Mümtaz Hacıpaşaoğlu delivered a session on law for entrepreneurs in September 2019.
Deep tech is a legal problem before it is a commercial one
Hardware and advanced-technology ventures carry constraints software companies never meet. The core asset is usually a patent application whose filing date fixes the company’s position — and public disclosure at a demo day before filing can destroy novelty. Where the technology touches a standard, licensing moves into SEP territory and FRAND terms, which is a negotiation with rules of its own.
Two further constraints tend to surprise founders. Advanced sensors, encryption and materials can fall under dual-use export control, so a customer in the wrong country is a compliance question rather than a sales one, and sanctions screening becomes routine. Meanwhile technopark exemptions and R&D incentives depend on where the work is actually performed. See Intellectual Property.
Author
-
View all postsMümtaz is the Managing Partner of Vircon Legal, which he founded in 2016. He advises founders, investors and operators on financing rounds, M&A, cross-border incorporations and regulated verticals such as crypto-asset infrastructure, fintech and games, bringing a former startup founder's perspective to every engagement.
If this is on your desk
Templates and checklists are free in the Founder Academy; for a specific situation, book a 30-minute intro call.
Founder AcademyBook an intro call