APA filed three patents on behalf of Simon and Prediction.IO, two of which were issued in a matter of months under the Track 1 program with very broad claims. APA’s extensive experience with prior art searches, advanced technology, and the processes that accompany them is why these short timeframes could be achieved without compromising the strength of the intellectual property. As the Prediction.IO community grew, it began to capture more and more attention. The company eventually caught the eye of Salesforce, a publicly traded Fortune 500 organization with one of the highest valuations for cloud computing solutions providers.

Negotiations between Salesforce and Prediction.IO followed the initial statement of interest, which is where American Patent Agency’s patents were truly put to the test. They were so strong that they passed due diligence by a company as expansive as Salesforce in a matter of days. Not only did the intellectual property pass due diligence, it also helped Simon raise the valuation of Prediction.IO during the negotiation and subsequent sale of the company to Salesforce.

Once PredictionIO’s patent portfolio was subject to the needs of a global enterprise, filing under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) emerged as a critical next step to block competitors and protect the community’s global users. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), “filing one international patent application under the PCT, applicants can simultaneously seek protection for an invention in 148 countries throughout the world.”

APA filed an international application under the PCT on behalf of Salesforce, with all claims approved within four and a half months. This ensures that the two companies can continue integrating without being hindered by concerns over the strength of their intellectual property portfolios.