Interviews

Three Questions with Catherine Mateu: Leveraging IP with a “French Touch”

Published: June 3, 2026

INTA continues its global workshop series in June, this time arriving in Paris on June 17, where professionals from law, finance, business, and policy will examine how intellectual property (IP) and other intangible assets contribute to enterprise value, investment decisions, and cross‑border activity in Europe.

Catherine Mateu, Armengaud Guerlain (France)

France is one of Europe’s leading innovation economies, with a growing volume of IP activity and some of the highest levels of public funding and tax incentives for business R&D in the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD), and is home to internationally recognized brands.

Against this backdrop, the Integrating IP, Finance, and Valuation Workshop in Paris will take place from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm CEST, at Maison de la Recherche (54 rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris) and is free to attend.

The INTA Bulletin spoke with Catherine Mateu, Partner at Armengaud Guerlain (France), who will moderate the session Unlocking Investment Potential: The Power of Intellectual Property at the workshop.

She discusses how the unique “French touch,” combined with a global outlook, creates a form of exclusivity that is both difficult to replicate and highly valuable in international markets, and why education is critical to ensuring that IP is properly recognized as an asset essential to business value.

She also explores how IP, reputation, and other intangible assets underpin competitiveness, trust, and long‑term growth.

The Paris workshop aims to show how IP underpins value, investment, and growth. What’s the key mindset shift for leaders looking to move IP from a legal function to a driver of competitiveness and long‑term value?
Education on the valuation of intellectual property assets is essential. Accountants, bankers, and financial professionals play a key role in shaping business decisions. As trusted advisors to corporate leaders, they should fully understand the value of IP within a company’s asset portfolio, ensuring that it is properly recognized and reflected in financial assessments. This, in turn, can facilitate investment, support growth, and enhance the company’s overall value.

Too often, IP is viewed only through the lens of day-to-day accounting and banking practices. As a result, specialists may overlook key information that contributes significantly to a company’s overall value.

In my litigation practice, I have observed a clear distinction between companies that benefit from a strong culture of IP rights and those that do not. Organizations supported by strong leadership recognize the strategic importance of IP and invest in its development and protection. They leverage these assets not only to generate revenue but also to strengthen their competitive position. By contrast, companies that regard IP merely as an additional cost or administrative burden often fail to realize its full potential.

In highly competitive markets, this difference in perception and approach can have a significant impact on long-term growth, profitability, and overall business value.

In my litigation practice, I have seen many times that such a perception appears too late for leaders. It may be too late when a critical asset of the company is copied (a distinctive sign, for example, because the innovation was not patented or protected by a design or trademark).

You’re moderating a panel on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, and scale‑ups can use IP to unlock investment potential in France. What are one or two practical steps these businesses can take to make their IP more “finance‑ready” for valuation, due diligence, and funding conversations?
Security and the costs of value creation are the two key messages that must be conveyed to SMEs and start-ups when considering IP protection.

First, security. Companies should take proactive steps to protect their innovations as early as possible. Indeed, competitors or opportunistic actors may still attempt to imitate innovations at low cost. While entrepreneurs often seek investment at an early stage, discussions with potential investors are generally more effective once the innovation has been secured through appropriate IP protection measures, such as patents, industrial design registrations, copyright, or protection of algorithms and proprietary know-how.

From a practical perspective, one of the most important issues is ownership. Companies must ensure that ownership of their IP is properly documented from the outset. In practice, disputes frequently arise due to unexpected assignments, unclear contractual arrangements, or defects in title affecting key IP assets that were created during the early stages of the business. Addressing these issues from the beginning can prevent costly complications later and significantly enhance the company’s attractiveness to investors.

Second, costs of value creation. Entrepreneurs should be aware that public institutions offer grants, tax incentives, or other forms of support for IP protection. A robust IP portfolio can provide reassurance to banks and investors, demonstrating that the company has taken the necessary steps to protect its assets and reduce risk.

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In my litigation practice, I have observed a clear distinction between companies that benefit from a strong culture of IP rights and those that do not.

From CHANEL to L’ORÉAL, France’s global brand leaders have mastered reputation‑driven value. What should French SMEs and scale‑ups borrow from that playbook to strengthen their investment case—particularly around IP strategy, trust, and long‑term value creation?
A mindset focused on protecting value while promoting uniqueness appears to be a defining characteristic of many successful French brands. Most major French brands have cultivated strong IP portfolios from an early stage. Their success is often rooted in a combination of IP assets, including brands, designs, patents, and trade secrets.

The key point is to foster an understanding that imitation will always be difficult when competitors face not only technical and legal barriers, but also the challenge of replicating a distinctive identity. French companies often achieve this by combining tradition and innovation, blending craftsmanship, creativity, and technological excellence. This unique “French touch,” coupled with a global outlook, creates a form of distinctive exclusivity that is both difficult to reproduce and highly valuable in international markets.

Learn more and register for the Integrating IP, Finance, and Valuation Workshop in Paris.

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest. The opinions expressed in this interview are those of the person being interviewed and do not purport to reflect the views of INTA or its members.