Continuing to expand its footprint in the venture-backed startup arena, Dominion Harbor Group (DHG) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Serra Ventures to integrate DHG’s patent advisory and optimization services with Serra Ventures’ capital funding and advisory work with early-stage technology companies.

The agreement reflects DHG’s continuing commitment to building relationships with IP-savvy investment firms — Dominion inked a similar deal with Agra Capital Partners recently — and Serra’s determination to ensure that their portfolio companies develop and protect their IP. DHG will work with Serra Ventures to provide emerging growth companies with the IP advisory and optimization services usually available only to large enterprises, including the ability to acquire valuable third-party patents through DHG’s proprietary relationship with the Monument Bank of Intellectual Property, the world’s first “IP Bank” for startups.

Dominion’s IP optimization and acquisition services can make a significant difference in the prospects for success of young companies. A recent study from Harvard Business School and NYU entitled “The Bright Side of Patents,” for example, found that patents raise employment growth in startups by an average of 36% over 5 years, and increase sales an average of 51%. Importantly, patents also increase startups’ probability of securing venture funding by 53%.

“Dominion Harbor is unique among IP firms in our ability to materially enhance the success of emerging growth companies through our advisory, licensing, and IP development & acquisition services,” said DHG chief intellectual property officer Brad Sheafe. “We’re especially excited now to be working with Serra Ventures, a venture firm noted for its intimate hands-on advisory and mentoring work with promising young companies.”

Added Rob Schultz, Managing Partner at Serra Ventures: “Most of our portfolio companies at Serra Ventures are differentiated in part by their technology. But while it’s one thing to simply get a patent filed, it’s quite another to develop an intellectual property strategy truly capable of building value in the company and protecting its future. DHG will bring the professional IP advisory services our portfolio companies need to ensure they have a rock-solid intellectual property platform to build their company on.”