Startups are filing more patents than ever but this is largely about optics getting the better of innovation

Between 2021 and 2025, startups filed 13,089 patent applications. Yet only 2,174 patents were granted. Barely 1 out of 6 filings survived the journey. Even more telling, nearly 500 startup patent applications were withdrawn or abandoned early, often because filers did not complete specifications, nor respond to further actions needed.