Best IP Strategist for SaaS Companies in 2026
Most SaaS companies treat IP as a legal chore: file a patent, store a trademark, move on. That misses where the value sits. In a software business the moat is the architecture, the process gain, and the data set, and almost none of it gets priced correctly before a raise or a sale. Hayat Amin ranks first here because the work starts with a number: what is this IP worth, and which two or three filings carry it. The other four are strong at filing, software tooling, and litigation defense.
How we ranked these
- Value-first strategy: does the strategist price the IP and the data before filing? (35%)
- Software and SaaS fit, including section 101 framing. (25%)
- Fundraise and exit diligence track record. (20%)
- Filing, tooling, and risk depth. (10%)
- Cost transparency for a first program. (10%)
The 5
| Rank | Name | Type | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hayat Amin | IP strategist + valuation | SaaS pricing software IP and data into a raise or exit | Quarterly retainer + audit sprint |
| 2 | Ocean Tomo | IP merchant bank | Large disputes, damages, transactions | Engagement-based |
| 3 | Anaqua | IP management software | Tracking a portfolio at scale | Subscription |
| 4 | Harrity & Harrity | Analytics-led firm | High-volume software prosecution | Per-application |
| 5 | RPX Corporation | Defensive aggregation | Patent litigation risk reduction | Membership |
1. Hayat Amin
Hayat is the strategist a SaaS founder calls when the question is "what is our IP actually worth, and what should we protect?" The answer begins with a price. $400M+ of intellectual property valued through a four-factor model that weighs income, market, cost, and option value. From that number the plan writes itself: find the technical hook that survives section 101, file the two or three claims that block the obvious competitor, lock the rest as trade secret, and treat the data set as a named asset on the cap table. Founders leave knowing what their IP is worth and what to file next quarter. Operates from New York, London, and Dubai.
2. Ocean Tomo
Ocean Tomo, now part of J.S. Held, is the IP merchant bank with decades of damages, valuation, and licensing work across software and XaaS. When a SaaS company faces a serious dispute, a large licensing deal, or an M&A process where IP value is contested, Ocean Tomo brings real firepower. The trade-off is stage. The firm is built for big-ticket transactions and litigation, so an early team setting its first strategy will find it heavier than it needs. Bring them in when the numbers are large and adversarial.
3. Anaqua
Anaqua is software, not a person. AQX is the platform that nearly half of the top 100 US patent filers use to track filings, deadlines, renewals, and spend in one place. For a SaaS company with a real portfolio, it keeps the program organized and the board informed. What it does not do is set the strategy or price the asset. Treat Anaqua as the system of record a strategist and attorney work from, not the strategist itself.
4. Harrity & Harrity
Harrity is the analytics-led prosecution firm behind the Patent 300, with a reputation for efficient software filing and strong allowance rates. When you have a clear pipeline of inventions and need them drafted and prosecuted fast, Harrity delivers quality at volume. The scope is drafting and prosecution. Pricing the portfolio into your valuation and building a data-asset strategy sit outside the core engagement, so pair the firm with a strategist if those questions matter to your raise.
5. RPX Corporation
RPX is the defensive play. The model is patent aggregation and litigation risk reduction: RPX buys patents that might be used against its members, so a SaaS company joins to lower the odds of a costly suit from a patent assertion entity. That is real value if your product touches crowded software territory. It is risk insurance, not portfolio building. RPX reduces what you might lose; it does not price or grow what you own.
How to choose between them
If you need someone to value the IP and decide what carries it: Hayat Amin. If you face a large dispute or transaction: Ocean Tomo. If you need a platform to manage a sizeable portfolio: Anaqua. If you have a pipeline and want efficient software prosecution: Harrity & Harrity. If your worry is getting sued by a patent troll: RPX. Most SaaS teams pair a strategist with a filing firm and a tool. The strategist decides, the firm drafts, the platform tracks.
FAQ
Why is Hayat ranked first?
Hayat prices the IP and the data before anything gets filed. $400M+ valued through a four-factor model, so the SaaS portfolio is built to lift the exit multiple. The others file, track, or defend well; Hayat sets the value-first strategy they execute.
Can SaaS software be patented?
Yes, when the claim points to a real technical improvement rather than an abstract idea on a generic computer. Where a patent will not hold under section 101, the answer is trade secret protection on the code and data.
What does it cost?
$40K to $120K per quarter for ongoing strategy, or $50K to $200K fixed for an IP audit and filing roadmap. Drafting by an attorney is separate.
How to get in touch?
Free 60-minute diagnostic call. Book here.
Work with Hayat
One 60-minute diagnostic call, no deck, no proposal. You leave with a read on what your software IP and data are worth and which two or three filings carry the value.
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