Belgian private equity-backed flooring company launches IP consulting service

i4F is no stranger to the patent world. The company develops new technologies for floor coverings and is constantly battling with competitors in court. The company fought its competitors Unilin and Välinge, for example, for a long time before the Dutch patent courts.

In October 2020, former Simmons & Simmons partner Mattie de Koning joined the management team of i4F as chief IP officer. Since then, he has been responsible for the company’s IP matters.

The Belgium-based company has repeatedly shown itself to be innovative in the development of new products. Now it is also expanding into the IP consulting market.

Backed by private equity

The strategic investor behind the new group is i4E, the parent company of i4F. According to a press release, i4E brings more than 15 years of experience in patent monetisation to the new venture. Private equity investors own i4F.

House of IP aims to combine prosecution work with licensing infrastructure and capital to provide a full-cycle IP model from filing through to commercialisation. House of IP is based in Amsterdam and will be managed by two experts. One of them is Edith Hermans, who will lead the company. She is a qualified patent attorney in the field of chemistry. Previously she worked in-house at Tessenderlo Group and DSM. Mattie de Koning is not directly involved but is using his IP knowledge to provide support to House of IP during the start-up phase.

De Koning says, “The aim of House of IP is not only to file, prosecute and manage patents, but also to enable companies to unlock the full potential of their portfolio of patented technologies in a targeted manner. i4F Licensing has a long-standing tradition in doing so.”

The new group intends to pursue a targeted acquisition strategy aimed at specialised IP firms, with the goal of bundling prosecution expertise with licensing, valuation, and enforcement capabilities.

Patentwerk as anchor firm

The first acquisition is Dutch patent prosecution firm Patentwerk, in which House of IP has taken a majority stake. The firm, which has nearly 30 years of experience, focuses on patent portfolio development, filing, and prosecution. Patentwerk has built its profile by combining prosecution work with licensing and enforcement support for clients building international patent portfolios. i4F and Patentwerk have worked together in patent prosecution for many years.

Further acquisitions are in the pipeline. Hermans says, “We aim to acquire or invest in two or three additional patent attorney firms in the coming months. Our initial focus will be on firms in Benelux and Germany, but we are also open to opportunities in other countries.”

She adds, “The firms that we bring together under the House of IP umbrella will remain independent entities, continuing to work with their clients as they have done in the past. House of IP will allow them to benefit from additional service offerings and synergies. Clients will receive a broader range of services. The firms operate as part of House of IP within a larger network of firms, and the i4E group gains access to interesting new technologies that we can monetise together with the patent holders.”

Growing trend in European IP

The launch of House of IP fits into a broader pattern of consolidation and outside investment in the European IP services sector, particularly in the Netherlands. In recent months, several Dutch firms dominated by patent attorneys have sought connections to international networks or accepted private equity investment.

In September, Benelux firm Arnold & Siedsma joined the global IP network Rouse, which is backed by private equity house MML Capital as a minority shareholder. Earlier in 2025, Dutch patent attorney firm NLO and French firm Ipsilon announced their merger, with Dutch private equity house Waterland investing in the combined firm.

Observers have pointed to the regulatory framework in the Netherlands as comparatively favourable for such investments, with Dutch IP firms showing more openness to outside capital than firms in some other European jurisdictions.