A Chat with Jim Gastle, CEO and Co-Founder at Patent Software Company: Terrifio

Tell us about Terrifio™

Terrifio™is a company dedicated to helping innovators, patent owners, and their advisors unlock more value from their IP portfolios.

We’re building tools that address recurring pain points inherently baked into some of these processes and instead make them easier to execute and as a result easier to deliver unrealised value.

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

I’ve been immersed in patents for years, representing clients across industries like med-tech, automotive, lighting, and consumer products. There’s no shortage of those pain points, particularly for for startups who are facing challenges from every direction. I think back to some earlier ventures where we designed, built and sold our patented products internationally. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to look a little closer at an area of U.S. patent law that is generally known in patent circles, yet rarely adopted and widely misunderstood. That became the spark for our current initiative.

Tell us about your core product or service: Markr™

Our flagship is Markr™, a SaaS platform that automates virtual patent marking. Under U.S. law, virtual patent marking is an optional level of compliance that can strengthen a company’s ability to claim damages and deter competitors, driven by a compliant virtual patent marking webpage. Most companies are simply not aware, or rely on cumbersome manual processes. Markr generates the required audit trails and enables one-click virtual patent marking webpage updates – allowing IP teams to take full control of the webpage without relying on IT or marketing each time. We’ve also expanded into AI-powered patent-product mapping that supports a wide range of workflows, from FTO, competitive product tracking to coverage gap analysis, litigation and licensing preparation, cross-team collaboration, audit and diligence, as well as virtual patent marking readiness. In each case, Markr can help companies quickly triage large portfolios to identify relevant patents and products for analysis.

What most excites you about the industry?

It’s exciting to see how intellectual property, once seen as an administrative burden, is now recognised as a strategic asset. With automation, AI, and better workflows, patent owners can treat their IP portfolios the way investors treat financial portfolios: with data, visibility, and leverage. Seeing companies discover new value in patents they already hold – whether through better compliance, improved litigation positioning, or even reduced insurance costs – is incredibly rewarding.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome along the way?

The biggest challenge has been awareness. Virtual patent marking and patent-product mapping aren’t new strategies, but they’re often poorly understood. In the case of virtual patent marking, the vast majority of those involved in patents, both professionals and clients alike, don’t realise the considerable leverage it can bring to proactive settlement discussions with competing infringers in the U.S. market. This is primarily driven by the competing infringers’ exposure to up to six years in past damages, with a compliant virtual patent marking webpage. We’ve invested heavily in education-through webinars, events, and one-to-one conversations, to bridge that knowledge gap. Once people see how straightforward our tools make it, the lightbulb goes on.

What is your number one piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Start by solving a real problem that you’ve lived yourself. When you understand the pain point deeply, you don’t have to guess whether the market cares. That authenticity comes through when you talk with customers or investors. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence – many of the most valuable opportunities only reveal themselves after you’ve pushed past the initial skepticism.

What can we hope to see from Terrifio™ in the future?

Looking ahead, you’ll see us continue to expand our suite of IP-tech solutions. Patent-product mapping is a big focus – with AI-assisted tools that flag likely claim/product overlaps, giving companies clarity faster than ever before.

We’re expanding our work with colleagues in venture funding, insurance and finance to help patent owners translate compliance into tangible business benefits, like improved valuations or lower risk premiums.

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