Dr. Holger Klapproth

Dr. Holger Klapproth received a masters degree in biology and a PhD in pharmacology from Johannes-Gutenberg-University in Mainz. After a short postdoctoral time at the department of otorhinology (University Hospital Mainz) he joined BioChip Technologies GmbH which became a part of GeneScan Europe AG to lead their research and development of microarrays. In the preparation of GeneScans IPO he took over the patent department of the company and was involved in license negotiations with several large companies. In the course of this work he developed a patent portfolio for GeneScan to circumvent competitors IP. At the end of 2001 he left GeneScan to start his own technology development business. In the case of his work he (and his coworkers) made more than 60 inventions which were filed as patents. Another focus of work was the analysis of patent portfolios of companies (which were looking for funding) to help risk assessment of investors. His area of expertise covers a wide range of technologies, especially in the field of biotechnology and pharmacology: surface chemistry for diagnostic and implant applications, biochemical methods, test devices for optical and electric detection of biomolecules, diagnostic applications & devices and drug substances (especially second clinical indictation). A further focus is in the field of nano-technology, focussing on biotechnology and photovoltaic applications. He analysed several litigation cases (OGT vs Affymetrix, Roche vs Promega) to help companies in their licensing decision process. In the area of medical devices he worked on a big project to make documentation and due diligence for a M&A project together with E&Y. In this project he focused on the FTO and the IP part. He also performed several other patent due diligence projects in the technology area in recent time for investment companies in the UK, the Netherlands an the US (IP & FTO of a medical device). Dr. Klapproth is externally appointed industry lecturer at the faculty of applied sciences of the Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg, one of Germanys elite universities, where he lectures DNA-Analysis.