They may very well find they'll have the same disadvantage as their business grows. Have the utmost respect for your competitors. People often overestimate the importance of a patent, a specific technology, or a contract. Certainly these factors can be important, but often they're insufficient drivers for success. If these other drivers loom large or if your idea requires substantial investment, you may do well by structuring your business to team with a company that has already invested in the right kind of business infrastructure.
Good ideas can come from anywhere.
Each of us has a unique set of experiences that allow us to see opportunities or problems that others don't see. More than 25 years ago, I talked about the idea of driving over a trench to change the oil in a car instead of having the car lifted. Neither do I own a piece of Jiffy-Lube, a thriving business started not too long ago, that does exactly that. An idea about what to do is worth nothing until you do it. Commitment makes it work, more than the idea itself.