Today Rouse announces its acquisition of Valea AB, a leading European IP firm, as part of its objective of greater integration and alignment of IP services globally.
Through the acquisition, Rouse and Valea clients will have the opportunity to access new markets and enhanced IP capabilities. For Valea clients, they can now tap into the unparalleled expertise that Rouse offers in markets such as China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, Rouse will benefit from Valea’s depth of European patent expertise based in one of the most innovative tech and Greentech regions in the world (ranking in the top five in WIPO’s 2022 Global Innovation Index).
Rouse sees the acquisition of Valea as a natural fit, having had a presence in Sweden since July 2019. Meanwhile, Valea AB has been active in Sweden for over 100 years, and currently has three offices in the R&D intense cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. Through these offices, it supports Scandinavian innovators with both domestic and international IP needs.
“There is an ever-growing need for diversity of networks and for speed, and we had this in mind when we started conversations with Valea,” says Luke Minford, Chief Executive of Rouse. “We’re very excited about Valea joining Rouse. They have an outstanding team of IP professionals, and we can now connect them and their clients with the exceptional capabilities that Rouse has in the markets of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It’s a great connection and connectedness is key to solving the complex multi-jurisdictional problems our clients face.”
Andrew Hammond, Founding Partner and Owner of Valea, says: “IP firms and professionals across the globe have been siloed for too long, restricting knowledge sharing and, ultimately, limiting innovation among multinational corporations. Through our deal with Rouse, we are excited to be a part of the movement aiming to tackle the issue of siloing, and kickstart a more efficient IP services market.”
“This is such a good fit for Rouse and Valea,” says Sara Holder, Head of M&A at Rouse. “Valea in Sweden will increase our team’s knowledge and expertise, strengthening our offering to clients and broadening our global capabilities.”
