§For startups and grant applicants
SBIR patent search and landscapes for proposals that hold up
We give startups and SBIR/STTR applicants the patent evidence that reviewers and investors look for: where the field stands, where your approach differs, and visuals that make the technology legible in seconds.
§ 01Where you are
Know the field better than the people reading your proposal
An SBIR patent search is rarely about filing. It is about credibility. Grant reviewers and investors don’t need you to have the only idea in a field. They need to see that you know the field well enough to explain why your approach is different, who else is working nearby, and where the open ground lies. A proposal or deck that claims “no competitors” tells them you didn’t look.
The programs themselves are on firmer footing. On April 13, 2026, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act was signed into law, reauthorizing the SBIR and STTR programs through September 30, 2031. For founders, that means a longer planning horizon, and a better reason to build the evidence once and reuse it across Phase I, Phase II, and the next funding round.
What we add is evidence you can show. A patent landscape maps who is filing in your space, how fast, and from which countries, with whitespace hypotheses where the record thins out. A competitor profile shows what the nearest companies have protected. A 3D render or short animation lets a reviewer understand your device before reading a word of the technical section. A proposal flies better when it has already been tested in the wind tunnel of prior art. We supply the data, charts, and visuals. You and your team write the proposal.
§ 02Services
Services startups and applicants use
Patent Landscape & Whitespace
Technology and assignee maps, filing trends, and whitespace hypotheses, delivered with an interactive Hoard Atlas view you can screenshot for a proposal.
3–6 weeks12Competitive Patent Intelligence
Profiles of the companies nearest to you, then Watch digests so you hear about new filings before an investor asks.
First profile in 2–3 weeks14Patentability Search
A full prior-art search report, with an audit trail, for your patent attorney or agent before you file.
5–7 business days16Product Clearance Search
In-force patents mapped to your product’s features and organized by jurisdiction, for review by your counsel before launch.
2–3 weeks183D Visualization & Animation
Exploded views, renders, and short animations for proposals, pitch decks, and trade shows.
2–4 weeks20Utility Patent Drawings
USPTO-format figures prepared from your specification or your practitioner’s, with two revision rounds.
First proofs in 3–5 business days§ 03A typical path
Working backward from your deadline
- 01
Scoping call with the date on the table
Tell us the solicitation close or the fundraising date. We scope what can be done well in the time available, and say so if it can’t.
- 02
Fixed-fee quote and NDA
A written quote within one business day, and an NDA before you share anything unpublished.
- 03
Landscape and competitor profile
We map the field and your nearest neighbors, with every query and source documented in the audit trail.
- 04
Visuals for the story
Renders or animations that show reviewers and investors how the technology works, drawn from the same record.
- 05
After the award or round
Hoard Watch keeps an eye on new filings in your space, and a Patentability Search goes to your practitioner when you are ready to file.
Working to a solicitation deadline?
Tell us the date on the scoping call. Landscapes typically take 3–6 weeks, and rush timing is available on searches and drawings when scope allows, quoted separately. If the date is too close for good work, we will tell you before you pay.
§ 04Questions
Questions from founders and applicants
Something else on your mind? Call (505) 357-5188 or write to info@metadragons.com.
Will a landscape prove to reviewers that my technology is new?
No, and it shouldn’t claim to. Whether something can be patented is a legal question for your patent attorney or agent. A landscape shows where the field stands and how your approach differs, which is what reviewers and investors usually want to see.
Can you write the commercialization section of our proposal?
We don’t write proposals. We supply the patent data, charts, competitor profiles, and visuals, with sources, so your team can write a section that holds up. We make no promises about award outcomes.
Can you work with unpublished technology?
Yes. We sign an NDA before any technical disclosure, keep files in US-based systems encrypted in transit and at rest, and never use client materials to train AI models.
What do investors look for in patent diligence?
Usually family structure, ownership records, maintenance status, and the competitive context. Our investor due-diligence checklist walks through it.
Keep reading
Related pages
§Next step
Map the field before reviewers do
Book a free 20–30-minute scoping call and tell us your deadline. You’ll have a fixed-fee quote within one business day.