IP Tech in 2026: Innovation & Intelligent Integration
2026 promises to be an exciting year on many levels. Just one month in and momentum is continuing to build across technology development and adoption, alongside anticipation of INTA’s “most ambitious annual meeting yet” in London. As CedarIP stands on the brink of major platform and company developments, we quizzed COO Nick March on the trends he expects to shape the IP technology market in the year ahead.
AI is clearly a macro-trend in work and life, but it isn’t the only thing happening. What other pressures and influences are you seeing in the IP tech sector right now?
While AI is fast becoming the lens through which we view every challenge, some of the pressures facing legal teams have been around since well before GenAI burst onto the scene. Increasing operational efficiency and ensuring they optimise the use of the technology and data they already have are two sides of the same coin, and there are undoubtedly ways to improve the efficiency of managing IP portfolios. They may not be as sexy as AI, but they are practical and rely on optimising the tools and refining the processes already in use.
For example, by automating standard tasks and processes, and integrating the tools that make up the IP team’s tech stack, organisations can create an “IP epicentre” where users and clients can effortlessly navigate across previously standalone platforms. Data can be shared, and overlaid across different platforms to deliver strategic insights, and the beauty is that all this data is already in systems and tools – it just needs to be surfaced and applied.
There is still the romantic concept of having a one-stop-IP-shop that does everything from matter inception, billing, IP portfolio management, renewals, online brand protection, and more. However, I believe this will come about through the intelligent integration of existing best-in-class tools through APIs, rather than a single provider building an entire platform. The resulting IP tech stack will be able to combine data from every component to report on every data point – and here AI will come into its own. But the foundations lie in optimising the current IP stack, automating where possible, and ensuring data integrity as a base on which to build.
What will we see more of in 2026?
AI is the obvious answer, but with less hype and more considered practical applications that relate to existing workflows. There will still be those slapping an “AI” sticker on products on the basis of basic gen AI integrations, but the more impressive vendors will be applying IP domain-specific expertise (and bespoke models) to show real ROI.
Current IP workflows are the logical place to start, by automating and streamlining where practical to increase the efficiency and flow of the pre-existing traditional workflows. We are already seeing some vendors focusing on specific use cases, offering pre-built, user-configurable workflows, rather than generalised solutions. Another important feature will be the resolution of AI’s black box problem; unexplainable decisions are simply not permissible in legal settings. Legal AI solutions must provide authoritative citations and supporting data to back up its decisions. This will give stakeholders and budget holders greater confidence in making AI investments.
As an aside, I believe we will see more immediate applications for AI integration in patent workflows due to the nature of the workflows and specific tasks involved.
What will we see less of in 2026?
The last few years have seen significant consolidation in the IP tech sector; a raft of smaller IP service providers have been acquired and merged, resulting in a landscape characterised by a few large organisations that have absorbed smaller acquisitions with varying degrees of success.
I predict we’ll see fewer of these transactions as the remaining small to medium vendors who specialise in specific markets or niche demographics resist being hoovered up. As barriers to entry fall, we may even see a spike in start-ups aiming to fill the vacuum created by the earlier acquisitions.
What’s in the plan for CedarIP this year?
It’s a big year for us! We are building out our team with the addition of a patent expert who will be bringing their deep knowledge and experience to bear on everything from product development to sales – watch this space to find out who is joining us! We’re also expanding our development team.
In February, we’re running a CedarIP workshop, introducing the platform to interested parties for feedback and potential early adoption.
We’ll be moving forward with our early adopter programme, putting the platform in contact with live environments and real-world use cases. At the same time, we’re establishing our key integration partners, who we’ll be working with to build components of an IP ecosystem that work together seamlessly.
CedarIP’s official commercial launch will take place ahead of INTA in May, and we can’t wait to show the product off to everyone on home turf in London!
Speaking of INTA, what does it mean to have this industry highlight in your own backyard?
We can’t wait for the IP world to descend on London! It is fitting, as the UK marks the 150th anniversary of the first registration in the trade mark journal, for the country to be able to showcase its credentials as a leader in intellectual property protection and management. From the leading firms and in-house teams at iconic brands, to internationally renowned barristers, and an IPO that seeks to set the standard for digital IP management, the UK has a lot to be proud of, and this is a fantastic opportunity to shout about it! (Although that’s not a very British thing to do!)
I hope that every visitor takes the chance to soak up some of London’s sights and sounds, from the iconic to the esoteric. We’ll be on Stand 1435 and encourage everyone to stop by and say hello!