Questel acquires majority stake in Equinox, extends portfolio of IP management software solutions

Paris, December 1, 2022: Global intellectual property (IP) solutions provider Questel announced today the acquisition of Equinox, a UK-based technology company renowned for its powerful IP management system (IPMS). The Equinox IPMS solution will bolster Questel’s already well-established position in the IPMS market by adding a dedicated solution for law firm clients.

Launched in 2006, Equinox IPMS is a comprehensive, easy-to-use, all-in-one IP management tool that is relied on by law firms worldwide to streamline IP portfolio management. Designed to make life easier for IP professionals, the system optimizes case and document management processes to enable users to build efficiencies in client communications, fee management, and reporting.

Considered the best in its class, the Equinox IPMS is as straightforward to use as it is powerful, making it a perfect fit with Questel’s suite of IPMS solutions. Questel supports companies and institutions with a wide range of software modules that enable them to achieve high-performance IP portfolio management for both patent and trademark assets. Depending on their individual needs, customers can choose between an out-of-the-box IPMS or a highly tailored solution built on Salesforce.

By acquiring Equinox IPMS, Questel can now provide law firms with a dedicated software solution. More broadly, however, the acquisition represents another significant milestone in the Questel group’s evolution. By increasing its focus and investment in strategic IP services and solutions for law firms, Questel has already become the preferred partner of many law firms worldwide in recent years. This includes supporting hundreds of renowned law firms around the globe with innovative and cost-effective solutions for patent translation projects, IP renewals, and trademark searches and watches.

“Questel is an ideal organization for Equinox to join and we’re excited to share knowledge and resources as we continue to grow internationally. Equinox has already carved a strong presence in the global IP tech market and, by leveraging the technology and services of Questel, we expect to better establish ourselves as a market leader while expanding what we can offer to our subscribers. We’ve worked closely with the Questel team and we’re confident that we share the same core values. Both organizations take a tech-first approach to IP software, bringing together innovative thinking that will develop advanced, industry-leading solutions,” said Sam Nicholson, Managing Director at Equinox.

Equinox has grown substantially in recent years with its team of 36 employees now supporting almost 250 clients in 25 countries. By joining the Questel group, the company and software are now poised to expand further internationally, benefiting from a global sales team based in 30 countries.

“Equinox is experiencing strong traction in Europe, with successful implementations for clients on all continents, and we are looking forward to bringing this state-of-the-art solution to law firms around the world. Alongside this acquisition, Questel is on track to become the global leader in the IP Management System market,” added Charles Besson, CEO at Questel.

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Questel’s mission is to facilitate the development of innovation in an efficient, secure, and sustainable way. Questel is a true end-to-end intellectual property solutions provider to more than 20,000 clients and one million users across 30 countries. We offer a comprehensive software suite for searching, analyzing, and managing inventions and IP assets. The Questel group also provides services throughout the IP lifecycle, including prior art searches, international filing, translation, and renewals. These solutions, when combined with our IP cost management platform, deliver clients an average savings of 30-60% across the entire prosecution budget.

Equinox is a UK-based tech company developing intellectual property management software that makes portfolio management as simple as possible for IP firms across the globe. Established in 2006, its system Equinox IPMS is a powerful all-in-one tool that optimises processes for efficient case and document management, client communications, fee management, and reporting.