InventHelp is one of the largest invention promotion companies in the United States, promising to help inventors take their ideas from concept to market. It has generated significant search volume and controversy for decades. Is InventHelp a legitimate service — or is it a company that takes money without delivering meaningful results?
What Is InventHelp?
InventHelp is a Pittsburgh-based company that provides services to independent inventors including patent referrals, prototype development assistance, submission of invention ideas to companies for review, and marketing preparation. It markets through television advertising and a network of regional offices. It has been in operation since 1984.
Is InventHelp Legitimate?
InventHelp is a real, registered company that does deliver the services it describes. It is not a non-delivery scam. The legitimacy concerns are about value — specifically, whether the fees charged are proportionate to the results typically achieved.
InventHelp BBB Complaints
InventHelp has accumulated a significant complaint history with the Better Business Bureau, primarily around:
- Fees paid for services that did not result in meaningful commercial interest in the invention
- Promotional materials and prototype development that consumed fees without producing viable commercial outcomes
- Disclosures about the low statistical probability of commercial success that inventors feel were inadequately communicated before contracts were signed
InventHelp’s Own Disclosure
InventHelp is legally required to disclose its commercial success statistics. Their own disclosures state that a very small percentage of clients (typically under 2%) earn more from their inventions than they paid to InventHelp. This disclosure is real and important — it means that for the overwhelming majority of clients, the service is a cost, not an investment that generates returns.
What InventHelp Actually Does Well
For inventors who understand the statistics and want professional presentation materials, patent attorney referrals, and the experience of formally submitting to companies regardless of outcome, InventHelp provides these services. The issue is when clients believe the service provides a viable commercial pathway rather than a structured process whose typical outcome is unsuccessful.
Alternatives to InventHelp
- File a provisional patent application yourself or through a registered patent attorney independently — significantly cheaper
- USPTO’s inventor resources at uspto.gov provide free guidance
- SCORE (score.org) provides free mentoring for inventors and entrepreneurs
- Crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Indiegogo) provides market validation without upfront invention promotion fees
Our Verdict
InventHelp is a legitimate company delivering real services with statistically poor commercial outcomes for most clients. The fees are high relative to the typical result. Read the mandatory disclosure statistics carefully before signing any contract, and explore lower-cost alternatives before committing to invention promotion services.
