Basic statistics on the success rate and profits for independent inventors

Thomas Astebro

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Abstract: 1,095 responses were received from a telephone survey of independent inventors. The majority of inventors surveyed (89%) are male, and a plurality of their inventions are designed for consumer products (47%). Conditional on commercializing their invention, and at development costs about 1/8 of those in established firms, inventive efforts by independent inventors lead to gains virtually comparable to those of established firms. Their innovations survive for about as long as the average start-up. Gross profit margins are comparable to the pharmaceutical industry (29%). However, only a small fraction of inventions developed by independent inventors reach the market (6.5%). The probability of reaching the market is four to eight times less than for inventions developed by established firms. Why do only a fraction of inventions developed by independent inventors become commercialized when those that do commercialize are quite profitable and survive for as long as other start-ups? (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Keywords: inventor; invention; independent inventor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1998-11-01
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 1998, 23 (2), pp.41-48

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Journal Article: Basic Statistics on the Success Rate and Profits for Independent Inventors (1998)
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