DeepIP has acquired PatentMaker, the leading AI platform for German patent professionals. But the real story is what this signals about where patent work in Europe is heading.

AI is the largest shift in the history of intellectual property. More than a feature or tool, it’s a fundamental reinvention of how patent work gets done.

On June 23rd, the co-founders of DeepIP and PatentMaker come together for the first time, in conversation with Johannes Ernicke, German and European Patent Attorney and Board Member of the German Chamber of Patent Attorneys, for a practitioner-focused discussion on what AI in European patent work looks like today, and where the combined platform is taking it.

Date: Tuesday, June 23rd

Time: 4:30pm CET

Format: Panel Discussion

Speakers:

• François-Xavier Leduc, Co-founder & CEO, DeepIP
• Édouard d’Archimbaud, Co-founder & CTO, DeepIP
• Dr. Matthias Hofmann, Co-founder, PatentMaker
• Celia Jinlan Wei, Co-founder & Managing Director, PatentMaker

Moderated by:

• Johannes Ernicke, German and European Patent Attorney; Founder, Patenza;

What you’ll learn:

• Why the DACH market demanded its own solution, and what DeepIP’s acquisition of PatentMaker signals about where European patent AI is heading
• What one integrated platform built for German IP practice actually looks like in daily use
• What AI-native prosecution means for your firm in 18 months: workflows, business models, and the skill sets that will matter

Who should attend:

• Patent attorneys and associates at German and European IP law firms
• In-house IP counsel and patent teams filing in Europe
• IP directors and heads of patent practice evaluating AI tools
• Anyone involved in patent drafting, prosecution, or portfolio strategy

Today, we are excited to announce an important milestone in the history of PatentMaker: PatentMaker has joined DeepIP.

This marks the beginning of a new chapter for both companies and for the patent professionals we serve. By bringing together PatentMaker’s deep roots in patent practice and DeepIP’s global AI platform, we are creating a stronger foundation for the future of AI-powered patent work.

A Journey That Started Inside a Patent Law Firm

PatentMaker began as an internal project developed by our founder, Dr. Matthias Hofmann, at BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT, one of Germany’s leading intellectual property law firms.

The original idea was simple: patent attorneys spend too much time on repetitive administrative tasks that could be automated. By reducing this burden, patent professionals could focus on what creates the greatest value for their clients: strategic thinking, legal analysis, and high-quality patent work.

What started as a tool developed to improve the efficiency of a single patent attorney was soon adopted by colleagues throughout the firm. Continuous feedback from patent professionals working on real cases every day helped shape PatentMaker into a practical solution built specifically for the needs of the profession.

Over time, PatentMaker evolved into a trusted platform used by many of Germany’s leading patent law firms and corporate IP departments. We are deeply grateful to our customers, partners, and team members who have supported us throughout this journey and helped make this achievement possible.

Why DeepIP?

Since the beginning, PatentMaker has been guided by a fundamental belief: the best AI solutions for patent professionals are built by and for patent professionals.

This philosophy is shared by DeepIP.

DeepIP has established itself as one of the leading innovators in AI-powered patent drafting, prosecution, prior art search, and IP workflows. Like PatentMaker, DeepIP was founded with the conviction that technology should augment the expertise of patent professionals rather than replace it.

By joining forces, we are bringing together complementary strengths:

• PatentMaker’s extensive experience in patent drafting and prosecution workflows and practical day-to-day usability.
• DeepIP’s advanced AI capabilities, global platform, and rapid innovation.
• Deep legal expertise combined with world-class AI engineering.
• Strong local customer relationships alongside international scale.

Together, we are creating a comprehensive platform that supports patent professionals throughout the entire patent lifecycle.

What This Means for Our Customers

For existing PatentMaker customers, it is business as usual.

Your existing contracts, workflows, and day-to-day use of PatentMaker remain unchanged. Our team remains committed to supporting our customers with the same level of service, responsiveness, and practical understanding that has always defined PatentMaker.

At the same time, this partnership opens the door to significant new opportunities.

Customers can look forward to:

• Access to a broader range of AI-powered capabilities.
• Faster innovation cycles.
• Expanded expertise and support resources.
• New opportunities to streamline patent drafting, prosecution, search, and portfolio management workflows.

Our shared goal is simple: to provide patent professionals with the most effective AI tools available, while maintaining the quality, reliability, and professional standards that the patent profession demands.

Looking Ahead

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way patent professionals work. Yet we firmly believe that the future belongs not to AI alone, but to the combination of human expertise and intelligent technology.

By combining the strengths of PatentMaker and DeepIP, we are positioning ourselves to help shape that future.

We are incredibly excited about what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey together with our customers, partners, and the broader IP community.

Thank you for your trust, support, and partnership.

Watch the Announcement Video

Watch the announcement video featuring the founders of DeepIP and PatentMaker, as well as Prof. Dr. Heinz Goddar and Dr. Jakob Valvoda, Equity Partners at BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT, as they share their perspectives on the future of AI in patent practice.

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• PatentMaker and DeepIP share the same ambition: building Europe’s leading AI platform for patent drafting and prosecution and setting a new industry standard for AI-powered patent work.
• PatentMaker is now part of the DeepIP family, combining DeepIP’s global AI scale with PatentMaker’s deep legal and local expertise.
• Together, the platform already serves more than 400 organizations worldwide, including nearly half of Tier 1 and Tier 2 German IP firms.
• For existing PatentMaker clients, nothing changes in the near future: your product, contracts, data security, and workflows remain the same.
• PatentMaker will continue to be fully maintained and supported as needed, is now backed by a larger team and additional resources.
• Over time, clients will benefit from access to a broader joint platform with additional features, modules, and support for more jurisdictions.

The following Q&A addresses the questions that are likely most relevant to you.

The Basics

What exactly happened? PatentMaker has been acquired by DeepIP, an AI patent platform serving IP professionals across North America and Europe. PatentMaker will become part of the DeepIP family while continuing to operate with the same product, a bigger team, and the same commitment to its clients.

Why did this happen? DeepIP and PatentMaker share the same vision: helping patent professionals become more productive through intelligent, workflow-native AI. By joining forces, both teams can move faster, invest more into the product, and deliver more value to clients. For PatentMaker clients, this means long-term access to a broader and more powerful platform — on your own terms.

Your Contract & Pricing

Does anything change in my contract? No. Your existing contract remains fully valid, with the same terms, pricing, and renewal conditions. Nothing is being renegotiated as part of this acquisition.

Will my pricing change at renewal? Not as a direct result of this acquisition. Any future pricing changes would follow the standard renewal process, with appropriate advance notice — exactly as before.

Do I need to sign anything? No. Your current contract continues unchanged. You will not be asked to re-sign or accept new terms as a result of the acquisition.

Your Product

Will PatentMaker still work exactly as it does today? Yes. PatentMaker continues to be fully maintained and supported. You will continue to receive updates, bug fixes, and customer support without interruption.

Is the product roadmap changing? The core PatentMaker roadmap continues. PatentMaker’s major strength — particularly its prosecution capabilities — will be maintained. Over time, clients may also gain access to additional capabilities from the broader DeepIP platform, but no core functionality is being removed or sunset.

Will the product be rebranded or look different? Over time, PatentMaker will gradually transition into the DeepIP brand family. This will mainly involve branding and visual changes. The functionality and workflows you rely on today will remain available.

Your Data & Security

What happens to my data? Your data remains secure and continues to be handled under the same policies and standards as before. There are no changes to data storage, retention, or processing as a result of the acquisition.

Is my data being shared with DeepIP or third parties? No. Data handling policies remain unchanged. Your data is not being transferred, shared, or processed differently as part of this acquisition.

Does DeepIP meet enterprise security standards? Yes. DeepIP operates according to enterprise-grade security, confidentiality, and governance standards, including ISO 27001, ISO 42001, and SOC 2 Type II compliance frameworks, aligned with the standards already in place for PatentMaker clients.

Your Contact & Support

Who is my point of contact? Celia Wei, Managing Director of PatentMaker, remains your primary contact, as before. She is now additionally supported by the broader customer success team, enabling faster response times and broader support coverage.

Will support quality change? Yes — positively. PatentMaker clients now benefit from the support of a larger organization, including expanded technical, customer success, and product resources.

DeepIP — Who Are They?

Who is DeepIP and why should I trust them? DeepIP is one of the leading AI patent platforms in North America and Europe. Its platform supports the full patent lifecycle — from invention harvesting and drafting to prosecution, portfolio intelligence, and collaboration workflows. DeepIP is trusted by law firms and in-house IP teams and is backed by leading IP-focused investors.

Will I have to use DeepIP’s platform? No. There is no obligation to adopt additional tools or workflows. Clients will have the opportunity to explore broader DeepIP capabilities at their own pace.

What does DeepIP offer beyond PatentMaker? DeepIP provides additional capabilities across the patent lifecycle, including invention harvesting, prior art search, AI-assisted drafting, portfolio intelligence, and collaboration tools connecting in-house teams and outside counsel. Over time, PatentMaker clients may benefit from access to these broader capabilities.

Still Have Questions?

Please feel free to reach out to Celia Wei: Email: wei@patentmaker.eu, Tel: +49 89 2000809 20

We are happy to answer any questions you may have and look forward to continuing our journey together.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming how patent attorneys respond to office actions but what does this actually look like in everyday law-firm practice? 

Join us for a live webinar hosted by patenza, where Johannes Ernicke will moderate a practical discussion with Dr. Matthias Hofmann (Founder at PatentMaker, Partner at Boehmert & Boehmert) and Alexander Wittmann (Advisor at PatentMaker, Patent Attorney at Kuhnen & Wacker).

Exclusively for patent attorneys in law firms.

This session is designed to provide a clear, practical perspective on how AI is being applied in patent prosecution today, with a focus on real workflows and use cases in law firms.

Who should attend
This webinar is exclusively intended for patent attorneys working in law firms.

What to expect:

• Practical insights into how PatentMaker supports office-action workflows in daily practice
  Learn how PatentMaker is used in day-to-day law firm practice, particularly in handling office actions.
• Live demo of relevant features for patent prosecution
  See relevant features and workflows in action, including how the tool supports responses to official communications.
• Best practices and tips from experienced users
  Gain tips and recommendations directly from experienced users.
• Live Q&A session
  Ask your questions and receive answers during the session.

Additional information

• The webinar is free and open to the public.
• It is part of the preparation for upcoming patenza roundtables, including sessions in Munich (May 7) and Düsseldorf (May 20).

The role of artificial intelligence in Intellectual Property is entering a new phase. What was once experimental is now becoming an integral part of how patent professionals approach analysis, decision-making, and their daily workflows. As AI continues to mature, the focus is shifting from possibilities to practical implementation—how these technologies can be used effectively, responsibly, and at scale.

Against this backdrop, we are pleased to announce that PatentMaker will participate in the 2nd AI & IP Forum in Munich on April 23, hosted by the Forum Institute. The event will bring together a distinguished group of experts from across the IP industry, including representatives from Institutes, leading corporations and patent law firms, including:

• Angel Aledo Lopez (EPO’s CTO / COO) 
• Kemal Bengi-Akyürek (Chair of the EPO Boards of Appeals)

One of the highlights of the forum will be the panel discussion on “AI in law practice”, which will focus on concrete use cases and practical frameworks for integrating AI into patent workflows. The panel will feature renowned experts from both industry and private practice, including:

• Filip De Corte (Head IP Crop Protection Syngenta)
• Marc-Michael Barf (Director Corporate Patents, Infineon Technologies)
• Christian Pioch (Partner, Maiwald Intellectual Property)
• Daniel Werner (Partner, BARDEHLE PAGENBERG)

We are particularly proud that our founder, Dr. Matthias Hofmann, will moderate this panel. As a German and European patent attorney and equity partner at Boehmert & Boehmert, Dr. Hofmann brings extensive practical experience in advising leading international companies. In this role, he will guide the discussion on how AI can be effectively applied in real-world legal and patent environments—moving beyond theory to actionable insights.

At PatentMaker, we strongly believe that the future of AI in IP lies not only in technological advancement, but in practical usability and integration into daily workflows. Events such as the AI & IP Forum provide an important platform to exchange perspectives, share experiences, and collectively shape the next phase of AI adoption in the field.

We would like to thank Jean-Claude Alexandre Ho, LL.M. and the team at FORUM • Institut für Management GmbH for organizing this excellent event.

We look forward to engaging discussions in Munich and to connecting with peers across the industry to explore where AI in Intellectual Property is heading next.