The US-based company partnered with Elevate to implement an AI-powered patent licensing strategy. Facing a large, unmonetised patent portfolio, the company sought a faster, more data-driven approach to identify high-value licensing opportunities and reduce the costs associated with traditional analysis.

Challenge

The company had a sizable patent portfolio (approximately 2000 families) but lacked a strategy for patent licensing. Key challenges include:

• Identify High-Potential Patents: Determine which patents and technology areas held the strongest licensing potential.
• Pinpoint Ideal Licensees: Understanding who the most relevant potential licensees were, both within and outside their direct competitive landscape.
• Inefficient Analysis: Traditional methods for patent analysis were too slow (estimated 2-2.5 months) and lacked the necessary focus to efficiently uncover overlooked licensing opportunities.

Solution

Elevate deployed AI technology with expert analysis to deliver:

• Portfolio Ranking: Elevate’s proprietary AI tool analysed the entire patent portfolio, ranking assets based on their real-world applicability and commercial potential. Natural language processing was used to compare patent claims with product documentation and publicly available data, generating scores highlighting high-priority patents.
• Visual Opportunity Mapping: Created visual maps showing patent-product overlaps, revealing both expected competitors and unexpected companies implementing the company’s technologies. This identified key areas like trailers/trucks and HVAC with significant overlap and pointed to specific target companies likely using technologies covered by the company’s patents.
• Identification of Adjacent Market Opportunities: The AI platform identified licensing potential in peripheral segments such as commercial fleet solutions and logistics management systems, where the customer had limited market presence but held relevant IP.
• Smart Target Identification: Pinpointed companies most likely implementing their patented technologies, generating a prioritised list of licensing targets.
• Expert Review and Claim Charting: For top-ranked patents, Elevate experts developed detailed claim charts, providing the legal team with solid evidence linking patent claims to specific products for licensing discussions.