# How to write a non-confidential summary of your lab technology to pitch it to industry URL: https://zernyxhub.com/blog/non-confidential-summary Author: Sahil Sheikh, Regd. Patent & Trademark Agent, cRTTP Published: 2026-10-21 Category: Technology transfer > How faculty write a non-confidential summary to pitch lab technology to industry: what to include, what to leave out, a one-page template and a worked example. **Short answer:** A non-confidential summary is a one-page description of your technology that you can share with any company without an NDA. It explains the problem, what your technology does, its key advantages with numbers, its applications, its development stage and its IP status, but leaves out anything that would let someone reproduce it. Write it after your patent application is filed, and agree the final text with your TTO or IPR cell before you send it. Most companies decide in under a minute whether a university technology is worth a meeting. What they read in that minute is usually a single page: the **non-confidential summary**, sometimes called a technology brief or a marketing summary. A good one gets you a call from an R&D head. A poor one, written like a paper abstract, gets ignored. A careless one can give away the invention before it is protected. This guide is for faculty members who want industry to notice their research. It explains what a non-confidential summary is, when to write it, what goes in and what stays out, with a template and a worked example you can adapt. ## What a non-confidential summary is It is a short document that describes your technology in enough detail for a company to judge whether it is relevant, but not enough for anyone to reproduce it. Because it is non-confidential, the TTO can post it online, email it to companies, and you can hand it out at an industry meet without asking anyone to sign an NDA. It is not: - **an abstract.** An abstract is written for researchers and focuses on method and results. A summary is written for a business reader and focuses on the problem and the benefit. - **an invention disclosure.** The [invention disclosure](https://zernyxhub.com/blog/invention-disclosure) is a confidential form for your TTO, with full technical detail. The summary is the public face of the same invention. - **a sales brochure.** Claims must be backed by your data. A company's engineers will check them. ## When to write it Write it **after the patent application is filed**, and ideally after you have the application number. Anything you share publicly before filing can count against the novelty of your own invention. India's grace period for some earlier disclosures under Section 31 of the Patents Act applies only to specific situations, with conditions, and does not cover pitching to companies. Our post on [publishing before filing](https://zernyxhub.com/blog/published-before-filing) explains the risk. If you must approach a company before filing, keep the summary at the level of the problem and the benefit, or ask your TTO to arrange an NDA first. ## What to include: seven sections on one page ### 1. A title that states the benefit Not "Novel Ni-doped mesoporous catalyst" but "Low-temperature catalyst that cuts energy use in biodiesel production". The reader should know the application from the title. ### 2. The problem Two or three sentences on the industry problem: what it costs, who has it, why current solutions fall short. Use facts the reader will recognise. ### 3. The technology, at a high level What it does and, broadly, how it differs from existing approaches. Describe the principle, not the recipe. ### 4. Key advantages, with numbers Three to five bullet points. "Works at 60°C instead of 120°C in lab trials" beats "highly efficient". State the test conditions honestly. ### 5. Applications and markets Which industries and products could use it. Name sectors, not specific companies. ### 6. Development stage Where it stands: lab result, prototype, tested with real samples, pilot. If you know your technology readiness level, state it, and say what testing comes next. ### 7. IP status and what you are looking for The patent status (for example, "Indian patent application filed") and the kind of partner you want: a licensee, a co-development partner, sponsored research or a startup. End with the TTO's contact details. **Seven sections of a one-page non-confidential summary** 1. Benefit-led title: The reader knows the application at once 2. The problem: Who has it and what it costs 3. The technology: The principle, not the recipe 4. Key advantages: Three to five, with numbers 5. Applications: Sectors and products, not companies 6. Development stage: What has been shown and what is next 7. IP status and the ask: Patent status, partner wanted, TTO contact ## What to leave out The test is simple: could a skilled engineer at the company reproduce your result from this page? If yes, cut detail. **Put in, or leave out?** Put in: - The problem and who has it - What it does, at principle level - Advantages with numbers and conditions - Development stage and IP status Leave out: - Compositions, ratios, process parameters - Unpublished claims or drawings - Raw data and full results - Anything not yet filed If an engineer could reproduce it from the page, it is too detailed. In particular, avoid: - exact compositions, ratios, temperatures, sequences or code, - the claims of an unpublished patent application, - drawings from the specification, - improvements or new results that are not yet covered by a filing, - confidential data from a sponsor or partner. ## A worked example Here is a hypothetical summary, written for illustration only. > **Low-temperature catalyst that cuts energy use in biodiesel production** > > **Problem.** Biodiesel plants run the transesterification step at high temperature, and energy is a large part of their operating cost. > > **Technology.** A solid catalyst developed at the Department of Chemical Engineering that works at much lower temperatures and can be filtered out and reused. > > **Advantages.** In lab trials, conversion comparable to the conventional process at a lower temperature. Reused over several cycles with little loss of activity in lab tests. No soap formation, so washing is simpler. > > **Applications.** Biodiesel producers, oleochemicals, edible oil processors. > > **Stage.** Validated at lab scale with used cooking oil. Next step: a pilot run with an industry partner. > > **IP.** Indian patent application filed. **Looking for:** a licensee or a co-development partner. **Contact:** the institute's technology transfer office. Notice what is missing: the catalyst's composition, how it is made and the reaction conditions. Those come later, under an NDA. ## How to use the summary - **Agree it with your TTO or IPR cell.** They check that nothing confidential slips through and that the IP status is correct. - **Use it as the first message.** Send the page, then offer a call. Attach the NDA only when the company asks for detail. - **Make two versions if needed.** A one-page summary for first contact, and a longer, confidential technical package for companies that sign an NDA. - **Update it.** When you reach a new milestone, such as a pilot or a granted patent, update the stage and IP lines. - **Present it the same way.** At industry meets, build your slides on the same seven sections. A summary that leads to a licence also leads to income for you as an inventor. Our guide on [royalty sharing for faculty inventors](https://zernyxhub.com/blog/faculty-royalty-sharing) explains how that income is usually divided. ## Getting the business angle right Most faculty find sections 2 and 5 the hardest: who has the problem, and which industries would pay for the solution. TT Co-Pilot, Zernyx's AI assistant for technology transfer, is built for TTO teams and university faculty on Zernyx's proprietary technology licensing dataset. It helps you think through likely applications and how to describe your technology for an industry reader, before you sit down with your TTO. ## Common mistakes - **Writing an abstract.** Industry readers want the problem and the benefit first. - **No numbers.** "Efficient" and "low-cost" mean nothing without data. - **Too much detail before filing.** It can harm your own patent. - **Overclaiming.** Lab results stated as if they were field results damage trust at the first technical call. - **No ask.** Say what kind of partner you want and who to contact. ## FAQ ### What is a non-confidential summary in technology transfer? A one-page description of a technology that can be shared without an NDA. It covers the problem, the solution at a high level, advantages, applications, development stage and IP status, without details that would let anyone reproduce it. ### Should I write it before or after filing a patent? After filing, wherever possible. Public disclosure before filing can destroy novelty, and India's grace period under Section 31 covers only specific situations. ### How long should a non-confidential summary be? One page is the norm for first contact. Keep the detailed technical package for companies that sign an NDA. ### Who should approve the summary? Your institute's TTO or IPR cell, because they manage the IP and usually the contact with companies. ### Can I put my TRL in the summary? Yes, if you can support it with evidence. Say what has been tested and in what conditions, and what testing comes next. --- Published by Zernyx Hub. More: https://zernyxhub.com/llms.txt