Oskar Block's entrepreneurial spirit led him from sports betting to patent automation. His startup, Stilta, aims to make the legal process more efficient by using AI to research and analyze intellectual property cases.

The platform automates the labor-intensive work of finding conflicting patents and pulling filing histories, allowing users to focus on strategic decision-making rather than tedious paperwork. Block believes this could unlock latent value in patent portfolios for companies that previously couldn't afford the process.

Stilta's $10.5 million seed round from investors like a16z and YC signals the growing interest in legal tech. While some parts of the industry are embracing AI, others lag behind. Still, as Block notes, the analytical bottleneck is disappearing, changing how companies approach their IP.

The process starts by inputting a patent number into Stilta's software, which then uses an AI network to search for conflicting patents and other relevant documents. The output is a report with pinpoint citations, ensuring that users have all the necessary evidence at their fingertips.