Erso Capital to Invest $500 million in Patent Dispute Funding
This year alone we have seen an increasing number of high-profile patent and trademark disputes receiving litigation funding, including several cases which secured wins for claimants against major corporations. Therefore, it is no surprise that funders are looking to dedicate more capital to these types of cases, and are taking increasingly active positions in patent disputes. As reported by Bloomberg Law, Erso Capital is one of the latest funders to see potential value in this area, announcing a $500 million war chest specifically to finance patent disputes. While Erso Capital is relatively new to the industry, its co-founder, James Blick, states that this move has come about as a result of the increased market demand for funding patent claims, particularly in the technology and life sciences industries. Erso is looking to split these funds primarily between US and UK cases, but Mr Blick has said that they are looking to increase their investments further afield, both in Europe and in other jurisdictions around the world. This move reflects current market trends, with research from Westfleet Advisors showing that 29% of all new litigation funding investments last year were devoted to patent disputes.