Turn discovery into impact — without leaving your mission behind.
You have made a discovery that could change the world. PIPE provides the structured commercial pathway to get it there — protecting your IP, respecting your timeline, and providing real monthly income from the moment your Protégé Company starts trading.
Your returns should not depend on an exit that may never come.
The traditional equity model asks researchers to wait a decade or more for shares to pay out, and only if the company is sold or listed. PIPE's revenue model delivers real income from the first month your Protégé Company generates trading revenue.
Traditional Model
Equity: wait for exit
You receive shares. Those shares generate income only when the company is acquired or listed — an event that may be a decade away, or may never arrive. For most spinouts that trade profitably but never achieve a major exit, the founder receives nothing from the commercial success they created.
PIPE Revenue Model
Monthly income from first trading
Under PIPE's revenue model, a defined percentage of your Protégé Company's monthly net sales flows to you through the PEX Asset Manager. From the first month of trading, you receive real cash income — not a theoretical future stake. As the company matures, your cash entitlement transitions progressively to Revenue Tokens traded on the PEX.
Cash first, then tokens: designed for founders who need real income
The PEX parameters are specifically structured so founders receive their share of the revenue obligation predominantly as cash in the early years. The transition toward Revenue Tokens happens gradually as the company's cashflows strengthen and your financial position with it.
The Researcher Promise
Your science stays yours. We build the bridge.
The commercial journey should not fall on you alone. PIPE provides the structure, the operators, and the capital connections — so that the translation journey does not pull you away from discovery.
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Your IP is protected at every stage — the inventive step is never disclosed without your consent
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Your publication and patent timelines are respected and protected throughout the QED process
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You receive real cash income monthly from first trading revenue through the PEX Asset Manager
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Your cash entitlement transitions to Revenue Tokens over time, building a liquid portfolio position on the PEX
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You retain equity (growth token) participation where your Protégé Company is on an IPO or acquisition pathway
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You choose your level of commercial involvement — from advisory input to founding CEO
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You keep your academic role — PIPE is designed for researchers, not ex-researchers
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Validated innovations gain visibility within the PIPE Corporate Innovation Network
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Monthly cash income from first trading
Your share of the revenue obligation is paid monthly through the PEX Asset Manager. Cash first, transitioning to Revenue Tokens as the company matures. No exit event required.
For Protégé Companies targeting high-growth venture investment and eventual IPO or acquisition, equity participation through the PEX growth token mechanism is fully available.
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Agreed Hours: your pre-funding contribution recognised
PAN Associates and service providers who contribute before funding is secured earn Agreed Hours — deferred compensation converting at funding to either 50% cash or 100% equity.
The Researcher Journey
How PIPE works for you, step by step.
Register: Free, Confidential, No Commitment
Create a free account on the PIPE Lab to IPO (QED) platform at labtoipo.com. No cost, no commitment, no IP disclosure at this stage.
Napkin Idea: anonymous pre-disclosure test
Not ready for a full disclosure? Post a Napkin Idea anonymously to test commercial interest without revealing the inventive step. Receive a fingerprinted receipt. No TTO process required at this stage.
Disclose IP-Safely in PIPE Lab to IPO (QED)
Submit your innovation through PIPE Lab to IPO (QED) without disclosing the inventive step. Your IP is protected at every stage while assessment proceeds at arm's length.
QED Assessment: Go/No-Go report
Your project is assessed across 11 streams covering commercial viability. You receive a structured translational roadmap whether or not the project proceeds.
Associate matching and commercial pathway
A PIPE Associate with relevant domain expertise is matched to your project. They build the commercial pathway alongside you through QED Stages 2 and 3.
IIC review and PIPExchange launch
The Independent Investment Committee (IIC) reviews your project against all QED gates. On approval, your Protégé Company launches on the PEX. Revenue model terms, set at Stage 3, are now live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions, answered.
No. The PIPE disclosure process is specifically designed to protect both patent potential and publication timelines. You never disclose the inventive step through PIPE Lab to IPO (QED) — the assessment is conducted on the basis of context, problem statement, and application area. Your TTO is involved at every stage, and no commercial engagement occurs without your explicit consent.
No. PIPE Associates handle the commercial pathway — from market validation and investor engagement to venture formation and IP structuring. You choose the level of involvement that works for you. Many researchers remain fully in post throughout the QED process and beyond.
From the first month your Protégé Company generates net sales, the PEX Asset Manager calculates your share of the revenue obligation and distributes it according to the parameters agreed at QED Stage 3. Your founder share is weighted toward cash in the early years. Payments are made monthly through the PEX. There is no revenue and no obligation in pre-trading months.
Revenue Tokens are issued by the PEX Asset Manager as part of the revenue obligation distribution. As your founder cash entitlement transitions over time, an increasing proportion of your monthly share is issued as Revenue Tokens — tradeable on the PEX from the point of issuance. They are being structured as regulated financial instruments under the UK Digital Securities Sandbox framework.
You receive a detailed assessment report explaining the findings, including what factors contributed to the decision and what could improve commercial viability. This feedback is confidential and shared only with you and your TTO. There is no cost to you for the initial assessment.
IP ownership arrangements are agreed with your institution and formalised before any commercial engagement. PIPE operates within your institution's standard IP framework. Equity (growth token) positions and revenue participation are structured on a project-by-project basis and are always documented in QED before you commit to proceeding.
Registration and initial submission through PIPE Lab to IPO (QED) are free. The Go/No-Go assessment is provided at no direct cost to the researcher. PIPE's commercial model is based on shared value creation at later stages, not upfront fees from individuals.
Submit an Innovation
Tell us about your discovery.
Your submission is confidential — no inventive step will be disclosed, and no commercial engagement will proceed without your consent. Initial submissions are free.
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Confidential and IP-safe from the first interaction through PIPE Lab to IPO (QED)
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No cost to the researcher at the submission stage
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Response within 10 working days with a viability summary
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No obligation to proceed beyond initial assessment
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Submission received.
A member of the PIPE team will be in touch within 10 working days.
Not ready to submit yet? That is perfectly fine. Download the PIPE overview, explore the Lab to IPO Pathway, or simply get in touch for an informal conversation.