5 1P Assets Tech Startup Must Secure Before a Funding Round

You've built the product. Users love it. An investor is interested.

And then Due Diligence starts.

This is the moment most tech founders realize they never secured what they actually built.

Your tech product has more IP than you think:

1️⃣ Product name & Brand.

If your name isn't registered as a trademark, someone else can — and in some jurisdictions, already has. 

2️⃣ UI & Visual design.

Your interface, user flows, and visual identity are protected by copyright — but only if ownership is properly documented. If a contractor built it, the rights may still legally belong to them.

3️⃣ Source code.

Code is a copyrightable work. But if it was written by freelancers, agencies, or early employees without proper assignment agreements, your company may not own it outright.

4️⃣ Algorithms & Proprietary logic. 

Your core logic may be patentable or protectable as a trade secret. Most founders never explore this — and leave a significant competitive advantage legally unprotected.

5️⃣ Databases & Data assets. 

Compiled datasets, user data structures, and proprietary databases can carry IP value — especially relevant for AI and ML products.

The investor question you need to answer before they ask it:

"Who owns the IP in this product ⁉️ "

If the answer involves any hesitation — former contractors, unclear assignments, unregistered trademarks — it will slow the round. In some cases, it kills it. 🚩 

At Name & Fame, we help Tech Founders audit and structure their IP before it becomes a Due Diligence problem. The earlier you do it, the less it costs — in time, money, and leverage.