Canatu is a leading developer and producer of 3D formable, flexible transparent conductive films and touch sensors for an entirely new class of touch applications. With more and more smart phones and tablets on the market, people have become used to interacting with touch screens. But before Canatu’s break-through technologies, touch was only possible on flat surfaces. Now Canatu is the only consumer electronics company able to make touch displays twisted, folded or curved.
Canatu’s core technology is based on a new type of carbon nano-material (Carbon NanoBud®), and a new, single-step manufacturing process combining aerosol synthesis of CNB material and Roll-to-Roll deposition by Direct Dry Printing®. It was invented in 2004 by the Canatu founders at Aalto University (then Helsinki University of Technology). Once the group spun off into a company it was imperative that they patent their invention as quickly as possible. But because this kind of material innovation is not common in Finland, they needed an IP partner with the right experience to help get the job done.
In 2006, Papula-Nevinpat became Canatu’s IP partner with the goals of 1. protecting the new material; 2. protecting its method of production; and 3. its mode of use.
Papula-Nevinpat supported Canatu at the front lines of the patenting process, drafting applications and actively defending the company’s patents. This kind of professional and efficient enforcement of patent rights requires the kind of competencies that Canatu does not have in-house.
Since teaming up with Papula-Nevinpat, Canatu’s business has expanded from a startup born in a university lab to a company with its own state of the art production plan and international partners in Asia, Europe and North America. Canatu continues to focus on developing its IP strategies and investing more resources into IP capacity. The company’s partnership with Papula-Nevinpat has developed positively to such an extent that now nearly all of Canatu’s work on IP issues has been outsourced to Papula-Nevinpat.
“Papula-Nevinpat has been our partner in IP issues from the outset, together navigating the many complex issues that have characterized our journey from startup to scale and international success. Throughout these years, Papula-Nevinpat has gained a deeper understanding of our technology, products and business, helping us broaden our perspective on all our company’s IP issues. The Papula-Nevinpat experts are always well prepared and armed with the right suggestions to proceed in any diverse case that confronts us.”
Ilkka Varjos, VP Technology, Canatu
