Tech startups are increasingly international

Many of the tech-related mergers and acquisitions making news these days involve startups founded overseas — a strong indicator that successful and profitable startup tech companies are being built from the ground up outside Silicon Valley. The Guardian addresses this trend in a recent article, reporting that "the best-placed tech firms are increasingly international from day one."

Inc. agrees, naming Beijing, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Moscow and London international startup hubs to keep an eye on this year. "In the last four years," Inc reports, "the number of tech companies in East London has reportedly nearly quadrupled to about 1,400."

Other international cities boast similarly exponential startup growth in recent years — Inc. reports that Stockholm's tech startups (among them, Skype, Spotify and SoundCloud) "represented 9 percent of all global billion dollar technology exits between 2005 and 2009."

For tech startups in general, whether they're based in Madrid or Mumbai, protecting the intellectual property upon which a company's unique product or service is based is key to ensuring its longevity and growth.

Inc. contributor Kelly Fitzsimmons recommends that startup founders educate themselves on the basics of trademark and copyright law, conducting a Google patent search and working with a business lawyer who specializes in the field, as an attorney can help you determine exactly what you need to trademark.

Fitzsimmons also recommends moving on protecting intellectual property as soon as possible and finding out whether your startup has competitors outside its native country.

If your internationally-based tech startup is based on a unique idea, as most are, contact a small business attorney to make sure the cornerstone of your company is protected against possible copyright infringement all over the world.

Categorised in: Business Law

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