IP as Capital: A New Framework to Map the Intangible Economy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – January 05, 2026 – In an economic landscape increasingly defined by ideas, brands, and networks rather than factories and machinery, a new research firm is proposing a new way to measure value. IP Atlas Media today introduced the Intellectual Property as Capital (IPAC) framework, an analytical tool designed to bring clarity to the often-murky world of intangible assets.

The San Francisco-based firm argues that as intellectual property becomes the core driver of market power and enterprise value, traditional economic indicators are failing to keep pace. The IPAC framework aims to provide institutions, businesses, and individual creators with a more accurate lens through which to understand how wealth is created, who owns it, and how it is sustained.

"Much of today's value creation happens outside the systems we still rely on to assess economic strength," said Colin Zink, founder of IP Atlas Media, in the announcement. "IPAC provides a structured way to examine how intellectual property increasingly functions as capital — particularly in systems where ownership and participation shape long-term resilience."

A Response to a Structural Economic Shift

The launch of IPAC addresses a challenge that has vexed economists and business leaders for decades: the rising dominance of the intangible. For years, studies have shown a steady transfer of value from tangible assets, like buildings and equipment, to intangible ones like patents, software code, brand reputation, and network effects. Research from firms like McKinsey has consistently shown a strong correlation between higher investment in intangibles and greater productivity and corporate growth.

Yet, standard accounting and valuation models have struggled to adapt. Traditional methods for valuing assets often fall into three camps: cost-based (what it took to create the asset), market-based (what a similar asset sold for), or income-based (how much future revenue it might generate). Each has significant limitations when applied to unique, non-physical assets. Data on comparable sales is often nonexistent, and projecting future income for a novel piece of intellectual property can be highly speculative. The result is a persistent gap between a company's balance sheet and its actual market value.

IP Atlas Media positions IPAC not as a replacement for these methods, but as a complementary framework. It seeks to move beyond simple valuation to analyze the underlying dynamics of ownership and control. By framing intellectual property explicitly as a form of capital, the model encourages a more strategic view of how these assets are deployed to build and sustain competitive advantage.

Beyond Valuation: A Tool for Strategy and Insight

The vision for IPAC appears to extend beyond a simple accounting exercise. IP Atlas Media, which describes itself as an "intelligence and innovation firm," was founded by Colin Zink, whose background spans media partnerships, creator ecosystems, and workforce technology. This multi-disciplinary foundation is reflected in the framework's stated goals: to support strategic decision-making, inform long-term planning, and deepen institutional understanding of ownership dynamics.

This initiative builds on a broader concept Zink introduced in late 2025: the "IP Capital Economy." This macro-economic theory posits that intellectual property is evolving into a primary asset class, fundamentally reshaping industries from entertainment to technology. The IPAC framework is the first major tool to emerge from this school of thought, designed to translate the high-level theory into actionable analysis.

For businesses, this could mean re-evaluating how they manage their IP portfolios. Instead of viewing patents and trademarks merely as legal protections, the IPAC model encourages seeing them as active capital assets that can be leveraged for financing, partnerships, and market positioning. For the burgeoning creator economy, it offers a language to articulate the value of their original work and audience networks in more concrete financial terms.

IP Atlas Media's business model seems to reflect this strategic focus. The firm aims to provide intelligence briefings and advisory services to a client base it defines as "creators, talent, media companies, civic partners, and global brands." The goal is to help these stakeholders navigate a world where, as the firm states, IP is "no longer just content — it's an investable asset class."

Unpacking Ownership in the Networked Age

Perhaps the most ambitious aspect of the IPAC framework is its focus on the distribution of value. The press release explicitly notes that traditional frameworks struggle to capture "who ultimately benefits" from the compounding value of intangible assets. By emphasizing ownership and participation, IPAC aims to shed light on the economic equity of modern digital platforms and networks.

In an economy dominated by participation-based networks—from social media platforms to open-source software projects—value is often co-created by millions of users. However, the financial returns are frequently concentrated in the hands of a few platform owners. The IPAC framework is designed to map these flows of value and analyze the structures that determine their distribution.

This focus could make it a relevant tool for policymakers, social scientists, and advocates for economic justice who are grappling with the societal impacts of the intangible economy. By providing a structured way to analyze who holds the underlying IP capital, the framework could offer new insights into wealth inequality and economic resilience in the 21st century.

As a newly launched concept, the IPAC framework's real-world impact remains to be seen. Its success will depend on its adoption by the institutions and creators it seeks to serve. IP Atlas Media has promised to publish further analysis in the coming weeks, applying the framework to specific markets and institutional contexts. These initial case studies will be critical in demonstrating whether IPAC can deliver the clarity it promises and evolve from an academic concept into an essential tool for navigating the modern economy.