About us and the platform Proofbox
We provide solutions for discreet Defensive Publishing and Proof of Existence
Born out of necessity. Built with precision.
Strategize, not Oversize your IP-Budget: Based on this guiding principle and against the backdrop of ubiquitously available AI language models, we believe in an acceleration of the IP industry. To meet this acceleration and the future diversifiability of companies, strategic IP management is required. This creates the need for defensive publishing and proof of existence solutions.
However, existing providers of defensive publishing providers are connected to a public archive that enables unrestricted competitor monitoring. This is not necessarily desired by inventors and companies seeking a recognized defensive publication without unwanted exposure.
This desire for a discreet defensive publication is fulfilled by Proofbox as the first provider.
The Problem
There was no tool and no platform to publish quickly, in a recognised and discreet manner, without uncontrolled dissemination at the same time.
That's when the idea for Proofbox was born: a privacy-first, robust online archive designed exclusively for digital defensive disclosures, without unnecessary public exposure of the information they contain.
Our approach closes this gap
... by offering innovators and IP experts a trustworthy and discreet alternative that preserves confidentiality and meets the formal requirements.
The Solution
Our archive is purely digital.
We've developed a dedicated mechanism designed for the permanent discoverability and availability of every defensive publication, without relying on external public databases such as the WIPO.
The complete contents of a disclosure are additionally located behind a paywall.
Proofbox therefore operates a prior art archive whose full contents are not accessible to automated competitor monitoring.
We are proudly independent
Proofbox is bootstrapped and fully self-funded.
Instead of seeking outside investment, we're committed to building a sustainable business, powered by the value we create for our users.
This independence gives us full control over product decisions, ensures user interests remain our top priority, and allows us to grow in a healthy, focused way.
We are small and move fast
We're a lean, cross-functional team of engineers, patent law-trained experts and creators.
Our small size is our superpower: we work fast, stay close to our users, and iterate without friction. Every feature we ship is guided by deep insight and a strong commitment to privacy and transparency.
Proofbox may be a small player in legal tech, but our infrastructure, security and service quality follow established industry standards.
Our Vision
The development and description of technical innovations is being dramatically accelerated by the use of large language models (LLM): Prior art research, the drafting of technical texts, and the identification of new solution approaches can now be carried out more efficiently than ever before. At the same time, the examination and granting of intellectual property rights remains a time-consuming and costly process; all of these trends, combined with the need to optimize IP spending.
Proofbox bridges the resulting gaps between rapid innovation, delayed IP protection and the desire for lean preservation of your space to innovate.
The platform enables discreet, recognized, and immediate publication of technical content – either as a defensive disclosure or as a strategic post-publication directly after filing a patent application or by cascaded disclosures.
Moreover, we provide solutions for proof of existence (PoE) without any publication to preserve your trade secrets.
Our Mission
Proofbox aims to modernize the defensive publication of technical inventions in accordance with current legal frameworks. This is what makes a discreet publication possible in the first place.
Through immediate and discreet disclosure, our platform works towards third parties not subsequently obtaining industrial property rights for identical or technically equivalent content. In this way, Proofbox supports companies in focusing on their actual development work and core business.
Moreover, we help customers create tamper-evident, eIDAS-compliant proof of existence for any confidential asset: from source code and trade secrets to business plans and research data – without ever disclosing the content itself.
While defensive publishing establishes prior art through disclosure, proof of existence preserves what must remain private – giving companies a comprehensive toolkit for the strategic management of their intellectual assets.