Coller IP works with investors in technologies covering a wide range of industries. As part of investment due diligence, we will often look at the ability of a company’s existing IP to underpin its business strategy for the new venture.
A due diligence exercise a couple of years ago, identified a weeding technology that justified further development and an “Invention House” of technology developers and business experts was established to create new weeding solutions which could be protected with IP and also be commercially viable. Cambrand R&D were appointed as the technology developers and the new team worked together with Coller IP to find a solution which was differentiated from the competition and the prior art. After several months of testing, development and IP landscaping, the researchers discovered a new invention and Weeding Technologies Limited was formed.
Weedingtech is now established as a UK brand that designs, develops, manufactures and sells exciting, innovative, patented weed control products. These encompass an AW series of delivery systems through to a proprietary technology called Foamstream. The AW series is a multi-functional agricultural weeding machine for use throughout the growing season. It is attached to a tractor via the front and rear three-point-linkage systems and takes all its power from the tractor’s power take off.
The AW series comprises three core components:
• A front rail carrying 6 nozzles with variable geometry
• A rear unit housing a generator, three heaters, a 600-litre tank and a lance
• A user-friendly touch-screen control console located inside the tractor cab, giving the user full control over the front and rear units.
The combination of the front working rail and the rear working lance mean the AW series is capable of pre-emergent, inter-row, inter-plant and spot weed control. That’s why it is such a flexible and versatile weeding solution. Foamstream is underpinned by an IP portfolio of patents and trade marks. It reduces weeding costs, is made using natural products such as oil seed rape, potatoes, wheat and maize and is non-weather dependent.
Foamstream was launced at The Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer’s Association (LAMMA) in 2012 which showcases the latest news and innovations in farming machinery. Time and again farmers explained how difficult weeding is for them: increasing legislation around the use of herbicides, and the expense of manual weeding mean they need to find a viable alternative.
Foamstream is now set to provide that alternative and in recognition of Weedingtech’s achievements it has been awarded the prestigious Loven Cup, the oldest award that LAMMA give out. The Loven Cup is for the ‘Best New Product or innovation at LAMMA 2012.’
“All innovative new companies need a strategic IP firm to support them along the process and ensure they have a robust IP strategy. Coller IP were Weedingtech’s selected partner and have been instrumental in developing our strategy, and navigating our start-up through a number of patent and Trade Mark registrations. These subject areas at first appear daunting however Coller’s straight forward, practical and customer friendly approach made the process simple and effective. We are pleased to work with Coller IP, we recommend them strongly and feel they were invaluable in helping us protect the IP we developed. This led to us winning the prestigious Loven Cup for “The Best New Product at LAMMA 2012”.
Leo de Montaignac, Operations Director, Weeding Tech
Leo de Montaignac, Alexander Goldsmith and Richard Hobbs with the Loven Cup and award certificate
January 2012