Aletia Oberholster
Head of Brands and Intellectual Property
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Start-ups and Innovation
Build fast, but keep ownership clean.
Start-ups move quickly. Ownership doesn't. When IP isn't documented early, it becomes the friction point later — when you raise funding, bring in a technical partner, onboard developers, or exit. Barnard helps founders and innovation teams protect what they're building, structure the rights properly, and get investment-ready without slowing momentum.
How can we help?
Choose Your Starting Point
Brand launch protection (naming / trade marks)
Software / product IP ownership clarity
Fundraising or due diligence readiness
Collaboration / incubator / university partner arrangement
Licensing / commercialising IP
Not sure — IP hygiene check
What we help you do
Brand and market position
- Naming clearance and risk flags
- Trade mark filing strategy and early priorities
- Portfolio planning as you expand products/territories
Ownership and documentation
- Founder, employee, contractor and developer IP
- Copyright and software ownership clarity
- Assignments, licences and clean "chain of title"
- Practical rules for using open-source tools safely (where relevant)
Commercialisation and growth
- Licensing, distribution and partnership structures
- Terms that preserve control while enabling scale
- Agreements that survive team changes and pivots
Investment readiness
- IP due diligence prep and clean-up
- Investor red flags and how to address them
- IP clauses and risk allocation in deals
The risk isn't innovation — it's informal decisions made under pressure
Start-ups don't lose value because they move fast. They lose value when ownership isn't clear, when permissions are assumed, or when "we'll sort it out later" becomes a due diligence problem. Our job is to keep you moving — while making sure the rights behind the product are defensible.
How We Work
(so you know what happens next)
Step 1: A focused discovery call
We understand what you're building, who's involved, and where risk typically sits.
Step 2: A short "IP hygiene" view
You get a practical list: what's clean, what's unclear, and what to fix first.
Step 3: Clean documentation and protection
Assignments, licensing terms, contractor agreements, filings — with clear milestones.
Step 4: Deal-ready support when it matters
If you're raising, partnering, or exiting, we help you answer investor questions confidently.
You'll leave with clarity — and a plan you can execute.
Related services
This often connects with...
Brand Enforcement
Infringement, counterfeits, takedowns and urgent steps
Copyright
Ownership clarity, permissions and copied content
Domains and Online Identity
Confusing domains, phishing, impersonation, prevention
Licensing and Commercialisation
Licences, assignments, deals and control
Start-ups and Innovation
IP hygiene, developer/contractor ownership, investor readiness
Tech Transfer
Commercialising innovation, collaborations, spin-outs, improvement rights
Trademarks
Registration, portfolios, objections and growth protection
Resources for founders and innovation teams
Build fast — but keep ownership clean
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