Idle patents can still do good.
Charitable Ideas is a nonprofit that secures patent rights to underused inventions and puts them to work for charitable causes — turning dormant IP into public benefit.
Our mission
We identify inventions and patent rights that are sitting unused, negotiate to secure or license them, and direct the resulting value toward charitable and public-benefit ends.
Technology transfer usually serves commercial goals. We're building the version of it that serves the causes that need it most.
What we do
Identify
We find dormant or undervalued patents and inventions with real potential for charitable use.
Secure
We negotiate the rights, licenses, or assignments needed to bring an invention under charitable stewardship.
Direct to impact
We license or donate the resulting rights to nonprofits and causes positioned to put them to work.