The team behind Orca Water has been working together for years. A group of dedicated product designers and consulting engineers, the five founding team members were already responsible for the research and development and IP planning behind numerous tech companies and startups, beginning as early as 2009.
But in 2022, one year after Orca Water’s incorporation date, the team laid their consulting projects to rest and went all-in on Orca, working on intensive research and development for non-intrusive ultrasonic water measurement technologies for multi-family residences and commercial buildings.
Driven by a mission to empower the world to value, measure and conserve water, Orca Water has developed a suite of devices for water metering, monitoring and analytics. The company’s solutions analyze water use at a highly-granular, per-fixture level that incorporates ultrasonic and acoustic sensing while eliminating the need to cut pipes or consult plumbers.
We met with Kerry Chin, founder and CEO of Orca Water, to discuss how the company has approached IP protection and the important role that AccelerateIP has played in cementing its IP portfolio.
Before working with AccelerateIP, what stage of the IP journey was Orca Water at?
We had previously completed levels 1-3 in the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP Assist), so we were coming into AccelerateIP with a reasonable amount of knowledge and preparation.
We had also filed a trademark and two provisional patents, as well as having completed IP due diligence, such as prior art searches, landscape analysis and some technical validation.
What IP challenges were you facing when you decided to take part in the AccelerateIP program?
We were facing the same problem as so many other tech startups looking to implement an IP strategy—weighing the decision to “divert” funds to IP work or to save them for operational runway.
It’s a real challenge for growing companies. You know that IP is an essential part of building your business, but it’s scary to spend runway funds on IP development or protection. The return on investment, while high, is much longer and can feel hard to justify.
What impact did the program have on your business?
Receiving non-dilutive funding from AccelerateIP’s Stream 3 meant that we were able to implement much more of our IP strategy than if we had gone it alone.
We filed a trademark, a United States Patent and Trademark Office utility patent, another provisional patent and an industrial design patent. We wouldn’t have been able to afford to file those documents without AccelerateIP’s funding.
The AccelerateIP program allowed Orca Water to solidify an IP portfolio that we had started but never felt that we could “afford” to finish.
Strengthening our IP portfolio also strengthened our story for current and prospective investors. It could be a factor in improving the “investability” of the company in the eyes of investors.
What would you tell anyone thinking about taking part in one of AccelerateIP’s streams?
Go for it! You get access to top IP lawyers who are willing to work with startups—and at a 75% cost reduction. It’s a win-win for growing companies.
