Agentic patent research cuts weeks of work into 10 minutes
Patent research just got a serious speed upgrade, and the announcement doubles as a rebrand. Toronto-based startup NLPatent has renamed itself Clerq and rolled out what it calls its first agentic patent research workflows, software that promises to compress a job that normally eats up days or weeks into roughly 10 minutes. For an industry built on billable hours and junior-associate grunt work, that kind of claim is bound to raise eyebrows — and expectations.
Key takeaways
- NLPatent has rebranded as Clerq and launched its first agentic patent research workflows on August 18, 2026.
- Clerq’s software can complete a full patentability analysis with citations in about 10 minutes.
- Two workflows are live: a rapid triage assessment and a full patentability report with feature-by-feature reasoning.
- Clerq announced integrations with RPX Corp and Park IP, and hired Michael Chernoff as director of IP strategy.
- Founded in 2021, Clerq has raised $3 million from Draper Associates and Mighty Capital.
NLPatent rebrands as Clerq and launches agentic patent research
The name change signals a shift in ambition, not just branding. NLPatent’s move to Clerq, announced on August 18, 2026, comes paired with the debut of its first agentic workflows built specifically for agentic patent research tasks that have traditionally required teams of attorneys and outside search firms.
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