Chekable Inc., a startup that’s using generative artificial intelligence to automate the patent application and search process, said today it has closed on an undisclosed investment from NEC X, the Silicon Valley accelerator of NEC Corp., after graduating from its Elev X! Ignite venture studio program.

The new investment is meant to help Chekable scale up its generative AI platform, which aims to transform the patent filing process by automating various aspects involved in it.

The startup said its AI-powered tool is a first-of-its-kind offering that streamlines many of the most time-consuming aspects of patent applications, saving inventors up to 70% of the time they’d normally devote to drafting related documents. Chekable is targeted at corporate in-house intellectual property teams, boutique patent law practices and multipractice legal firms.

The existing patent application process is one that’s notoriously complex, time-consuming and also siloed, resulting in some serious inefficiencies. Indeed, the process can sometimes be so laboriously slow that it takes years to complete a single patent filing in some more complex cases. Though there are some tools that aim to automate the patent application process, the startup says there are none that cover the entire process.

Chekable is different. The startup says its vision is to build a comprehensive platform for patent applications that streamlines the entire lifecycle. While adhering to local jurisdiction language requirements, Checkable’s platform can accurately and efficiently generate patent applications, search and monitor for possible patent infringements, check new patents for similarities with existing patented inventions, and also match investors in need of guidance with specialized patent professionals.

The startup appears to have hit upon a great application for generative AI, taking advantage of the technology’s ability to analyze large amounts of data in an instant, said Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc.

“It’s a capability that’s especially applicable to patents, where inventors are required to carry out an extensive search for prior IP applications to ensure that their creations haven’t already been patented by someone else,” the analyst said. “Traditionally, these searches have always been a manual process performed by humans, and they may not always go as deep as they need to be.”

Mueller added that Chekable’s claim of being able to slash patent drafting times by up to 70% will need to be verified in the real world. But if it’s true, he said, it will “revolutionize the patent industry.”

Chekable co-founder and Chief Executive Nipun Kumar said he has extensive personal experience of the monotony of the patent application process, having authored more than 60 patents on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, including many for AI tools. He founded the startup alongside Ashutosh Chapagain, the startup’s chief AI officer, who is an expert in natural language processing.

NEC X President and CEO Shintaro Matsumoto said Kumar and Chapagain have created an innovative approach to patent management that makes the entire process more efficient and accessible. “We expect impressive results from Chekable, as it continues to enhance and scale its transformative platform worldwide,” he said.

Chekable joined NEC X’s Elev X! Ignite program in the fourth quarter of last year, as part of its cohort batch 10, where it received hands-on support, funding, mentorship and access to workshops. During the program, NEC performed extensive tests of Chekable’s product to deliver valuable feedback and bring it closer to market-readiness.

“Their guidance has enabled us to refine our technology and fast-track our entry into the market,” Kumar said.

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