What should I use to build my invention?
People with an idea and no experience get pointed at three kinds of service. Here is what each one does, where it stops, and who owns what comes out, so you can see where the map ends on each.
The comparison
| Kind of service | What it does | Where it stops | Who owns the result |
|---|---|---|---|
| An app builder | Builds an app or a prototype from a description or from blocks. | Stops at the app. Nothing is written down about the invention, nothing is checked against existing patents, and funding is not its job. | The app, on their platform; the code is sometimes yours to export, sometimes not. |
| A patent service or a form filler | Prepares or files patent paperwork. | Stops at the paperwork. It does not build anything, and it does not help you find money to make it. | The filing, if you paid for one. |
| An invention-promotion company | Offers to evaluate, market or license your idea for a fee. | Often stops at the fee. The FTC and the USPTO both publish warning signs for this kind of service. | Unclear; read the contract for ownership and royalties before paying anything. |
| NeuralClaim | Builds a working prototype or web app from your words, keeps a dated record of the invention with the closest patents and papers, prepares a first provisional draft and a packet when it is time to file, and matches open grants to it, all in one project, with a coach who teaches the words as you go. | Stops where the law begins: NeuralClaim is not a law firm and does not give legal advice, and it never markets or sells an idea or rates its value. | You. The code of every build is yours to download, the record is yours, and NeuralClaim takes no share of anything. |
No company is named here on purpose. Check any service, including this one, against the warning signs the FTC and the USPTO publish, and read how we're different.
When each one fits
- You only want an app and the idea behind it does not matter to you: an app builder is enough.
- You already have the invention written down and only want it filed: a patent professional or a patent service.
- You have an idea, no experience, and you want to build it, protect it and find money for it without losing the thread between the three: NeuralClaim.
Start where you are
Plans start free, and the first Workshop runs on a sample invention with no account. Every price is on one page; scholarships and subsidies cover people who cannot pay right now.
You don't need permission to start.
Just an idea, and a map to follow.
Can't pay right now? Apply for a scholarship or a subsidy.