Turning intellectual property protection into a platform for growth at NTitle

When you ask the team at NTitle what they do, the answer is simple: They deliver full title investigations within 48 hours, through an easy-to-use online platform. The responsiveness of the platform can reduce the time taken to complete a property transaction by as much as three weeks, which is a real competitive advantage for businesses operating in a market where response times are critical. 

Founded by co-founders Nicola Ashley and Nicola Davies, NTitle is a Cardiff based business that has grown to a team of 15 specialists, working with businesses across England and Wales.  

As NTitle has grown, so has its ambition. The firm is currently building their own proprietary technology to streamline title investigations further and change how practitioners work.  

We’re moving slightly from a service provider business into more of a tech business, says Nicola Ashley.

The shift from being a service-led to a tech-enabled business prompted NTitle to look more seriously into what intellectual property was held within the business. The change raised a very important question: how would they make sure the intellectual property rights associated with the platform were protected legally, and stay protected as the businesses continues to grow? 

With support from Business Wales, a Welsh business advisory service, the founders at NTitle were introduced to Gosia Evans, senior solicitor in our intellectual property team at Harper James. Gosia’s recommendation was for NTitle to begin with an intellectual property audit. This would allow NTitle to identify the intellectual property rights that the business currently has, spot gaps in their protection, and put in place a straightforward plan to better protect those rights. 

Business Wales part-funded the intellectual property audit, which made it much easier for NTitle to access expert advice while developing its new platform. The founders at NTitle applied online and found the process straightforward, it took less than an hour to complete and only required a small financial contribution from the owners. 

Senior Intellectual Property Solicitor Gosia Evans comments: 

Businesses are often afraid to explore the protection of their intellectual property rights because this can be a complex area of law, and, as always, when it comes to professional advice, it involves dedicating a budget. 

However, there is an excellent option to consider, the UK Intellectual Property Office intellectual property audit funding available through Business Wales in Wales and Innovate UK Business Connect in England makes obtaining high quality legal advice accessible and affordable, especially if combined with Harper James’s pricing models. 

It is so important to get intellectual property protection right from the outset to avoid unnecessary issues or disputes arising in the future, particularly before investment rounds and other corporate transactions. Intellectual property related mistakes can prove to be very expensive and they can also have a negative impact on the valuation of business assets, as well as cause delays or affect investors’ interest.

Speaking about the intellectual property audit, Nicola comments: 

The intellectual property audit was very thorough, very detailed and was simple and helpful in the way I needed and gave us a clear plan of what to do next. 

It has highlighted some practical steps we need to take and now we are comfortable that by the end of the process our intellectual property rights will be secured.  

With the launch of the platform, everything has to be really secure because it’s ours, we have developed it. We can’t rely on anybody else making sure it’s protected. It is down to us.

Looking ahead, N Title is focused on launching its bespoke platform with appropriate intellectual property protections in place, and marketing its proprietary title investigation platform with confidence, knowing that the underlying intellectual property rights are secure.