Branchfood: IP for Start-ups: What to Protect, What to Skip, & How to Do It on a Budget

Tani Chen and Jas Lee will lead a practical, no-fluff conversation in partnership with Branchfood on how start-ups can approach IP strategically without overspending. For early-stage founders, intellectual property can feel like both a necessity and a black box—patents, trademarks, trade secrets: what actually matters for your business, and what can wait? Tani and Jas will break down how to think about protecting your innovation in a way that aligns with your stage, goals, and resources. Attendees will gain insights into the different types of IP and when they matter, how to prioritize IP protection based on your business model and growth plans, common mistakes start-ups make when spending on IP, how to stretch your IP budget, and what investors look for when evaluating IP strategy. Whether you’re pre-product or scaling, this session will help you build an IP approach that supports your company without draining it.