Why patents matter: Senergetics’ journey from idea to impact
With their revolutionary sensor to detect corrosion, Senergetics proves that intellectual property is a foundation for growth and funding.
Published on June 19, 2025
Anitha, Frank Jacobs and DeepTechXL's Guus Frericks
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When high-tech startup Senergetics introduced a breakthrough solution for one of the process industry’s most challenging problems - Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) - they weren’t just innovating in photonics. They were also building a business on something less visible but equally vital: patents.
IP and patent protection in high-tech
This article is part of a short series in the run-up to the 11th Gerard & Anton Awards ceremony, on July 3. In this three-part series, we look at what IP and patent protection mean to some of the former winners of a Gerard & Anton Award.
“Our technology may look simple from the outside,” says Anitha, CTO and co-founder of Senergetics. “But what makes it valuable is the knowledge behind it. That’s what we need to protect - and patents give us the framework to do that.”
Founded in 2022, Senergetics has moved quickly. Within six months, the Eindhoven-based company filed its first patent, which has already been granted in Europe. “We now have two more patent applications under review, and a fourth one on the way,” Anitha explains. “We try to combine ideas in a single filing when possible - for budget reasons - but also to ensure broad protection.”
Patents: Proof of seriousness
For early-stage deep-tech ventures, a strong IP strategy often serves a dual purpose. It helps keep competitors at bay -but it also builds credibility.
“When you say to an investor that you’ve applied for a patent, it changes how they see you,” Anitha says. “It’s not just a great idea anymore - it’s something real, something defensible.”
Senergetics’ core technology - a sensor system that monitors pipelines and equipment in real-time to detect corrosion early - may sound straightforward. However, transitioning from concept to patentable innovation requires rigorous documentation and strategic thinking.
Anitha emphasizes that the process isn’t always smooth. “Some of our early patent claims were initially rejected because they seemed too similar to existing ones. But once we explained the differences, the reviewers recognized our novelty. It’s a dialogue, iterative and detailed.”
The cost of doing it right
However, this legal groundwork comes at a cost, both in terms of time and money. “It takes a lot of energy,” Anitha admits. “You need to drive the process yourself, even if you’re not the legal expert.”
To bridge that gap, Senergetics relies on external patent specialists, as well as early support from the Netherlands Patent Office (part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO), whose advisors are conveniently located in the same building at the High Tech Campus.
Anitha © Senergetics
“At first, I only knew how to search on Google Patents,” Anitha laughs. “The RVO team introduced me to Espacenet, and that opened a whole new world. They’re very approachable and helped us understand the full process.”
While some startups try to manage patent filings entirely in-house or with general-purpose tools, Anitha has no regrets about seeking expert help. “You can try to write your patent application with ChatGPT,” she says, “but there’s no substitute for the experience of a good patent attorney. They know how to craft a claim so it actually holds up.”
IP as leverage for funding
The startup’s strategic approach is already bearing fruit. “We’ve raised three million euros so far,” Anitha says. “And investors increasingly ask for an ‘IP pledge’: they want assurance that their money is going into a company that protects its innovation.”
She sees intellectual property as a smart investment in itself. “You put money into patents, and that helps you attract even more money from investors. It’s a virtuous cycle.”
Building at speed, launching globally
Senergetics currently operates with a 12-person team out of HTC 27 in Eindhoven. The group is diverse, agile, and, by startup standards, unusually fast. Within three years, the company has evolved from concept to a fully functional product.
That product, an IoT wireless sensor, will make its official debut at ADIPEC, the global oil and gas exhibition in Abu Dhabi this November, with a pre-launch scheduled at Gastech in Milan. “It’s the right audience,” Anitha says. “These are the industries where corrosion under insulation causes real safety and operational risks.”
Advice to other startups
What’s Anitha’s key takeaway for fellow founders? “Don’t underestimate the value of a simple idea,” she says. “Start with your own research. Sometimes the smallest inventions haven’t been patented yet. And don’t disclose your idea too soon; once it’s public, you can’t protect it anymore.”
Above all, she urges others to consider IP as part of the business strategy, not a side project. “This isn’t just paperwork. It’s part of how we build trust, with investors, with partners, and eventually with customers.”
For Senergetics, patents are not just a legal shield. They’re a compass pointing the way from deep-tech innovation to global impact.
More about Senergetics: www.senergetics.nl
Explore patents: espacenet.com
More information: Support for startups at RVO
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