History

We are now in an age where intangible intellectual property rights matter.
We aim to be a company that can contribute to technological development through intellectual property information services.

June 1994	Founded in Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo with capital of 20,000,000 yen Started patent research and analysis, translation and interpretation services
April 1996	Head office relocated to Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
March 1998	Research Department member, training at the European Patent Office
April 2000	Registered as a company on the Japan Patent Office website and launched the WISEL website
June 2000	Intellectual property information CD-ROM business started
November 2000	Increased capital to 23,000,000 yen
April 2001	The Japanese version of the quarterly newsletter "EPIDOS News" (now PI News) published by the European Patent Office is now available on the WISEL website with the permission of the European Patent Office.
April 2002	Joined the Japan Intellectual Property Association
November 2002	Exhibiting patent research, translation and other services at the 30th anniversary general meeting of the IPO (Intellectual Property Owners Association) held in Los Angeles, USA
October 2003	Attended the AIPLA (American Intellectual Property Law Association) General Assembly held in Washington DC
June 2004	Selected by the Japan Patent Office as a "Patent Prior Art Search Support Business for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises" and started business
March 2005	Joined AIPPI (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property of Japan)
April 2005	Osaka branch office opened in Kyomachibori, Nishi-ku, Osaka
November 2005	INFOPRO 2005 - Presentation at the 2nd Professional Symposium
April 2006	Nagoya branch office opened in Kosaka Honmachi, Toyota City
September 2006	The results of the State of the Art Search "Gold Nanoparticle Catalysts" commissioned by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology were announced at the Patent Business Market.
November 2006	The contents of the patent information research "Biomass Bottle" that we assisted in the Chiba Prefecture Small and Medium Enterprise Intellectual Property Strategy Support Project were broadcast on TV Asahi and other stations' "Chie no Wa Nippon"
November 2006	INFOPRO 2006 - Research presentation on "Patent information analysis method using Termi, a freeware dedicated to text mining"
January 2007	Nagoya Branch Manager gives lecture on patent information search for faculty of Nagoya University's Intellectual Property Department
June 2007	The Vice President of the Osaka Branch participated as an examiner in the "Patent Search Competition," an event held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Kansai Patent Information Center Promotion Association.
December 2007	Increased capital to 30,000,000 yen
December 2007	Together with Associate Professor Yoshitoshi Tanaka of the Tokyo Institute of Technology Graduate School, Steve Manton translated and supervised the book "Integrated Intellectual Asset Management," which was published by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation.
January 2008	Joined INTA (International Trademark Association)
April 2008	Nagoya branch office also selected by the Japan Patent Office as a "Patent Prior Art Search Support Business for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises"
May 2008	Attending the 130th Annual General Meeting of INTA
September 2008	Attending the AIPPI Boston 2008 General Assembly
November 2009	15th anniversary of the company's founding: "Intellectual property seminar for small and medium-sized enterprises and venture companies" held by Professor Yoichiro Sada, head of the intellectual property department at Yamaguchi University (Tokyo and Osaka)
May 2010	Hiroshi Amagasaki (Chemistry, Bio), patent attorney and small business consultant, appointed as advisor (Passed the 2003 Patent Attorney Examination while employed at WISEL)
December 2010	Patent attorney Tomoaki Azuma (electronics, information and communications, software) appointed as advisor (retired in December 2012) (Passed the 2006 Patent Attorney Examination while employed at WISEL)
December 2010	Increased capital to 58,000,000 yen
November 2011	Three EPO examiners visit our company. All our search staff receive a detailed explanation of the CPC, etc.
November 2011	Our employee Naoko Okuizumi passed the patent attorney examination (retired in August 2012)
May 2013	Nagoya branch office moved to Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya
February 2014	At the IPCC-sponsored Patent Search Competition 2013, Rika Wakui of the Research Department won the Grand Prize in the individual category.
May 2015	Former Toyota Motor Corporation Intellectual Property Department Director Takayoshi Aoyama appointed as Advisor
June 2015	Received the Takayoshi Aoyama Advisor Invention Encouragement Award at the 2015 National Invention Awards Ceremony
December 2015	Advisor Hiroshi Amagasaki won the top prize in the individual category at the IPCC-sponsored Patent Search Competition 2015
April 2016	Selected by the Japan Patent Office as a "Patent Prior Art Search Support Business for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises" and started business
June 2016	Introduction of web conferencing system
September 2016	Attending the AIPPI Milan General Assembly

March 2017	Received the 2016 Patent Information Dissemination Activities Merit Award Chairman's Award from the Patent Information Dissemination Activities Merit Award Selection Committee Secretariat of the Japan Patent Information Organization http://www.japio.or.jp/hyousyou/files/2016/16-a-05.pdf
February 2018	Nagoya branch office merged with Osaka branch office
October 2018	Rika Wakui (Section Chief, Bio, Pharmaceutical, and Chemical Division), a member of our Research Department, participated as a lecturer in the special seminar "Learn from Active Searchers! Patent Infringement Investigation Seminar Using Japio-GPG/FX" hosted by the Japan Patent Information Organization.
December 2018	Our employees won awards at the 2018 Patent Search Competition hosted by the Industrial Property Cooperation Center (IPCC). Individual Gold Award: Rika Wakui 2nd place in the group category: Bio-Pharmaceutical-Chemical Team (Kaori Arita, Yumi Nakanishi, Rika Wakui)
July 2021	Osaka branch office relocated within the building (6th floor to 8th floor)
August 2021	Tokyo branch office relocated within Toranomon 3-chome
July 2024	Homepage renewal