Intellectual Ventures
Intellectual Ventures is a private invention and investment business that creates, incubates, and commercializes inventions through patent licensing and spinout companies. It serves Fortune 500 firms via its patent portfolio and launches startups in energy, connectivity, security, and healthcare.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBellevue, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Intellectual Ventures does
Intellectual Ventures (IV) is a privately held invention and investment business founded in 2000 by Nathan Myhrvold, Edward Jung, Greg Gorder, and Peter Detkin, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. The company operates a distinctive model in which it sources inventions from a global network of inventors and universities, develops them internally through structured Invention Sessions and its 87,000 sq. ft. IV Lab prototyping facility, and either licenses the resulting patents through its Invention Investment Fund or spins out standalone companies via the Invention Science Fund, Deep Science Fund, Enterprise Science Fund, and the Bill Gates-funded Global Good Fund. IV holds more than 35,000 IP assets across 16 technology areas, including wireless communications, semiconductors, autonomous vehicles, digital payments, security, and metamaterials, and has invested over $3 billion in patent acquisitions to build this portfolio.
The company's core revenue model is licensing and royalties from patents held in the Invention Investment Fund, supplemented by equity participation in spinout companies. Licensees include top global technology firms, with multi-year, individually negotiated agreements. IV has launched more than 15 spinouts including TerraPower (nuclear energy), Kymeta (metamaterial satellite antennas), Evolv Technology (AI-enabled security screening — IPO'd on NASDAQ in 2021), Echodyne (radar), Lumotive (LiDAR), Pivotal Commware (5G antennas), and Modern Hydrogen (clean energy); these spinouts have collectively raised over $700 million in venture funding. Technical capabilities span metamaterials engineering, deep learning computer vision for medical diagnostics (Autoscope, EasyScan GO for malaria; AVE for cervical cancer), high-temperature superconductivity, and synthetic data generation.
Go-to-market is enterprise direct sales for licensing and partnership-driven distribution for spinouts. Customer segments split across Fortune 500 corporations licensing patent rights, inventors/universities monetizing IP, and humanitarian organizations adopting Global Good technologies in low-resource settings. The company remains private under Myhrvold's leadership and continues to operate without public revenue disclosure, though it has generated over $2 billion in cumulative licensing revenue since inception.
Intellectual Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Intellectual Ventures
- Legal name
- Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC
- Website
- https://intellectualventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Intellectual Ventures is a private invention and investment business that creates, incubates, and commercializes inventions through patent licensing and spinout companies. It serves Fortune 500 firms via its patent portfolio and launches startups in energy, connectivity, security, and healthcare.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Intellectual Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intellectual Property Licensing
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Patent Owners & Lessors (6794), Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer (BPAHAMAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA), Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH)
Keywords
Where Intellectual Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellevue
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Intellectual Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Patent Licensing: The Invention Investment Fund (IIF) offers licenses granting companies rights to patents in diverse technical categories acquired from independent inventors, universities, startups, small-and-medium-sized businesses, and Fortune 500 firms. IIF's patents have generated billions of dollars in licensing revenue over 20 years.
- Spinout Equity: IV creates spinout companies from its inventions and holds equity positions. Evolv went public in 2021 (NASDAQ: EVLV), and spinouts have collectively raised over $700M in venture funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom patent licensing agreements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Intellectual Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Intellectual Ventures is a global invention and investment business that creates, incubates, and commercializes impactful inventions. It operates the Invention Investment Fund (IIF), which manages one of the world's largest patent portfolios spanning 16 technology areas, licensing patents to Fortune 500 firms. The Invention Science Fund (ISF), Deep Science Fund, Enterprise Science Fund, and Global Good Fund drive new invention creation, while IV Lab provides rapid prototyping. Spinout companies commercialize inventions in nuclear energy, connectivity, security, LiDAR, and other areas.
Product overview
Intellectual Ventures is a global invention and investment business that creates, incubates, and commercializes impactful inventions through multiple interconnected funds and an internal laboratory. The core offerings include: the Invention Investment Fund (IIF) managing one of the world's largest patent portfolios across 16 technology areas; the Invention Science Fund (ISF) which has launched more than 15 spinout companies; the Deep Science Fund (2015) and Enterprise Science Fund (2023) pursuing high-risk scientific research; IV Lab providing prototyping capabilities; and the Global Good Fund for humanitarian technology. The company operates through spinout companies including TerraPower (nuclear energy), Kymeta (connectivity antennas), Evolv Technology (AI security screening), Echodyne (radar), Lumotive (LiDAR), and others spanning energy, communications, security, and healthcare sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IV Lab: Intellectual Ventures Laboratory - 87,000 sq. ft. research facility for rapid prototyping and invention development
- Invention Investment Fund (IIF)
- Invention Science Fund (ISF)
- Deep Science Fund
- Global Good
- Enterprise Science Fund
Products and services
- Invention Investment Fund (IIF) Patent licensing and portfolio management service offering licenses granting companies rights to patents in diverse technical categories from independent inventors, universities, startups, and Fortune 500 firms. Targets enterprises needing IP strategy and patent access.
- Invention Science Fund (ISF) Invention and commercialization program that runs Invention Sessions with top inventors to develop breakthrough technologies and launch spinout companies. Built the metamaterials technology platform that produced Kymeta, Evolv, Echodyne, Pivotal Commware, Lumotive, and other spinouts.
- Deep Science Fund High-risk scientific research and commercialization program across physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Pursues transformative scientific ideas and develops them into commercial opportunities via an innovative research and development model.
- Enterprise Science Fund Investigates applications for ambitious inventions in advanced chemistry, physical sciences, and biomedical devices. Partners with prominent technical experts to commercialize ideas from the world's most prolific inventors.
- IV Lab 87,000-sq. ft. research and prototyping facility with over 100 scientists and engineers providing end-to-end invention prototyping services including electronics, manufacturing, scientific testing, welding, inspection, and product prototyping.
- Global Good Fund Humanitarian technology invention program inventing technologies for global health and development challenges in low-resource settings. Created technologies including vaccine storage devices, AI-powered diagnostic tools, and disease modeling capabilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $2 billion in licensing revenue generated over 20 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Intellectual Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Intellectual Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Intellectual Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- RPX CorporationflagshipIIF closed a landmark licensing deal with RPX in January 2021, described as a major win for IV and a licensing blockbuster.
- AirbusminorKymeta partnered with Airbus to deliver satellite connectivity to long distance buses throughout Peru with SmartBus demonstration.
- Access BiocoreOne-year research agreement to improve by 5-times the sensitivity of WHO-prequalified malaria diagnostic kits that detect HRP2-deleted Plasmodium falciparum parasites.
- J.P. SelectacoreGlobal Good signed a licensing agreement with J.P. Selecta to manufacture and distribute a microbiological incubator (INCUDIGIT-SV 30) for laboratories in low-resource settings, designed to operate without reliable power supply.
- BURN ManufacturingminorGlobal Good partnered with BURN Manufacturing to co-develop a clean burning, affordable and fuel-efficient wood stove for sub-Saharan Africa.
- Amref Health AfricacorePartnership with the largest Africa-based nonprofit to deliver the Worldwide E-Learning Course on Malaria Microscopy (WELCOMM) to laboratory professionals and health workers.
- MoticcorePartnership with microscope industry leader Motic to develop the EasyScan Go, an internet-networked AI-powered microscope that automatically scans, identifies and counts malaria parasites.
- Duke University / Dr. David SmithcoreCollaboration with Dr. David Smith and Duke University to accelerate commercialization of metamaterials technology. This partnership resulted in the launch of Kymeta and three other metamaterials-based spinout companies. Dr. Smith describes this as a model for incubation and translation.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Intellectual Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pendrell Corporation: Intellectual property investment and advisory firm focused on acquiring and licensing patents — operates in the same non-practicing entity / IP investment niche as IV's IIF.
- Acacia Research: Public IP licensing and patent investment firm that acquires and licenses patent portfolios — same core IIF-style business model as Intellectual Ventures' Invention Investment Fund.
- RPX Corporation: Defensive patent aggregation and licensing platform — a strategic counterparty and sometimes competitor to IV; IV closed a landmark licensing deal with RPX in January 2021, illustrating direct overlap in patent licensing markets.
- InterDigital: Public R&D and patent licensing company focused on wireless and video technologies. Comparable to IV in monetizing a large patent portfolio via licensing and in operating a wireless-comms invention practice.
- Rambus: Designs and licenses semiconductor IP including memory and security interfaces — directly comparable to IV's semiconductor process/fabrication and security authentication patent verticals, with a similar licensing-and-spinout heritage.
- Xperi (formerly Tessera): IP licensing and technology development company with semiconductor packaging, media, and consumer electronics IP — directly comparable to IV in monetizing fundamental semiconductor and media patents through licensing.
- Quarterhill (formerly Wi-LAN): Patent licensing investment company that acquires and licenses technology IP across communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics — comparable in business model to IV's Invention Investment Fund.
Emerging players
- LOT Network: Defensive patent aggregation cooperative whose members pledge not to assert patents against each other — operates adjacent to IV's licensing business as a structural threat or potential counterparty.
- Allied Security Trust (AST): Non-profit defensive patent pool that purchases patents to prevent them from being asserted against members — another structural counterparty/threat to IV's licensing monetization model.
Others
- Xinova: Former IV subsidiary (spun out from the Invention Development Fund in 2007) operating a global inventor network — directly comparable in its invention-sourcing model and a historical extension of IV's own origination engine.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Intellectual Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceIntellectual Ventures compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Intellectual Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Intellectual Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Intellectual Ventures subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries17 records
Intellectual Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Intellectual Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Intellectual Ventures
What does Intellectual Ventures do?
Intellectual Ventures is a global invention and investment business that creates, incubates, and commercializes impactful inventions. It operates the Invention Investment Fund (IIF), which manages one of the world's largest patent portfolios spanning 16 technology areas, licensing patents to Fortune 500 firms. The Invention Science Fund (ISF), Deep Science Fund, Enterprise Science Fund, and Global Good Fund drive new invention creation, while IV Lab provides rapid prototyping. Spinout companies commercialize inventions in nuclear energy, connectivity, security, LiDAR, and other areas.
Is Intellectual Ventures a public or private company?
Intellectual Ventures is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Intellectual Ventures founded?
Intellectual Ventures was founded in 2000. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Intellectual Ventures based?
Intellectual Ventures is headquartered in Bellevue, United States, in the North America region.
How does Intellectual Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Patent Licensing is the primary driver. The others are spinout Equity.
Who are Intellectual Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pendrell Corporation, Acacia Research, RPX Corporation, InterDigital, Rambus, Xperi (formerly Tessera) and Quarterhill (formerly Wi-LAN). Emerging players are LOT Network and Allied Security Trust (AST). Xinova is listed as an others.
Does Intellectual Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Intellectual Ventures.
What industry is Intellectual Ventures in?
Intellectual Ventures's product category is Intellectual Property Licensing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAF, IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer, with a secondary code of BPAHAMAA, Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management. Its NAICS code is 541715 and its SIC code is 6794.