Iran latest country to change laws to allow companies to use IP and other intangibles as collateral for bank borrowing

Photo by Mohammad Amirahmadi on Unsplash

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has announced that it will now allow banks to accept intangible assets including patents, software, brands, and registered trademarks as collateral for lending.

Iranian media says that the intent is to encourage technology firms to use their intangible assets as securities for loans.

In a statement released on Sunday, the CBI published a list of 35 assets that banks in Iran can accept as collateral for loans, which should be a boost for Iran’s technology companies to secure new funding for future growth.

Hamed Rafi’ee, an official from the Iranian Presidency’s department for science and technology, which operates independently from the country's ministry of sciences, was quoted by Iranian media as saying that the department had managed to finally persuade the CBI and the banking system in the country to recognize intangible assets as collateral for loans.

Rafi’ee said:

“The financial system in the country was previously reluctant to count on these assets, and the science-based companies were unable to use them for securing loans.”

Apparently, Iran has been investing heavily in developing a science-based economy in recent years, as it tries to diversify from its reliance on oil exports. It has set up dozens of technology parks hosting hundreds of tech startups across the country.