Startup Story
So many businesses wonder if you can protect your Intellectual Property Rights in Mozambique, and the answer is yes, you can. Entrepreneur Nidia D’Almeida, founder of API - Agência de Propriedade Intelectual, is there to show you how.
LoA spoke to Nidia D’Almeida recently to find out more about this highly specialized business.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Nidia D' Almeida, I am proudly Mozambican, and I am the founder of API-Agência de Propriedade Intelectual. This small company was created with the intent of providing services of protection of Intellectual Property Rights-IPR (patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets). My love of IPR comes from the fact that in order for an IP to exist, there has to be a person involved, a person that developed the idea, that spent countless hours thinking, imagining, drawing in order to offer others a product/service that makes a difference in their lives.
What does your company do?
We provide services of intellectual property (IP) in Mozambique, as well as advice on how to protect your intellectual work (namely, trademarks, patents, designs, copyrights, infringements) in countries such as Angola, Cape Verde and Sao Tome & Principe. In connection with it, we also provide translation services for trademarks, patents, and any other document (Portuguese-English-Portuguese). Do not hesitate to reach us and find out how we can assist in protecting your various rights in Mozambique.
What inspired you to start your company?
I have an immense passion for art and people's ideas and from that I decided that I should share this passion, by helping them protect their inspiration, their work.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
It is small company, so the attention given for each product, will be extra special.
I thrive in the production of industrial designs, patents and even in the elaboration of a trademark.
Tell us a little about your team
For now, it is only me but I am hoping that in the future I can expand and share this love of Intellectual Property (IP) with other minds.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I always worked for other people and never had the opportunity to share people's joy when their rights are protected. It was so mechanical that it took the joy of it for a while I was there. But after 15 years working for an IP company (with offices all over Africa), and doing what I loved, but with limitations, I decided that it was time to start a new voyage into this IP world and assist people with their dreams and helping them protect those ideas.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I would like my API to grow and to be able to collaborate with entrepreneurs/and or artists all over Africa, by protecting their rights and create a difference in the local market.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
When I see an idea taking a form, just like a little bird hatching, and I am involved in protecting that idea, in registering it and in advising how to give wings to that idea.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Have patience, resilience, perseverance, and collaborate with other entrepreneurs.
Find out more
LINKEDIN | EMAIL apimoz@outlook.com
Why LoA loves it….
As entrepreneurs, being able to protect our intellectual copyright is so important, particularly when we look at building our assets. But it can often be difficult to navigate this highly specialized area ourselves and we need to look for advice and support. That is where Nidia D’Almeida comes in. With her depth of experience in intellectual property, patents and copyright, she can help businesses to protect their assets for the future. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa