Access Advance
Access Advance LLC is an independent patent pool licensing administrator that aggregates standard-essential patents for major video codecs (HEVC, VVC, VP9, AV1), serving device manufacturers, streaming platforms, and patent owners with single-license, FRAND-compliant coverage instead of bilateral negotiations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Access Advance does
Access Advance LLC, founded in 2015 as HEVC Advance LLC and rebranded in 2021, is an independent patent pool licensing administrator headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company administers patent pools that aggregate standard-essential patents (SEPs) for major video codec technologies, offering implementers a single license covering multiple patent holders rather than requiring dozens or hundreds of separate bilateral negotiations. Its core products are three patent pools: the HEVC Advance Patent Pool (covering over 27,000 essential patents for H.265, representing approximately 75-80% of global HEVC SEPs), the VVC Advance Patent Pool (covering 3,600+ patents for H.266), and the Video Distribution Patent Pool launched in January 2025 (covering HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1 for streaming services). A Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement (MCBA) offers discounted rates for products implementing both HEVC and VVC.
Access Advance generates revenue through licensing royalties collected on behalf of patent owners, retaining an administration fee. Royalty rates are tailored to product type, country-of-sale, and compliance status rather than one-size-fits-all, and the company publishes royalty rate tables and white papers to demonstrate FRAND compliance, which has been independently validated by Criterion Economics. The company serves three primary segments: device manufacturers implementing video codec functionality, video streaming platforms distributing encoded content, and patent owners seeking efficient licensing administration and enforcement support. As of 2024, the HEVC pool had over 320 licensees and 43 licensors, growing to 350+ licensees by 2025. The company operates with 11-50 employees under CEO Peter Moller (formerly of GE) and CLO John Kinton, pursuing active litigation in the US, Germany, and Brazil to enforce pool patents, including landmark actions against Roku and the first AV1 patent assertion against Snap Inc.
Access Advance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Access Advance
- Legal name
- Access Advance LLC
- Website
- https://accessadvance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Access Advance LLC is an independent patent pool licensing administrator that aggregates standard-essential patents for major video codecs (HEVC, VVC, VP9, AV1), serving device manufacturers, streaming platforms, and patent owners with single-license, FRAND-compliant coverage instead of bilateral negotiations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Access Advance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patent Pool Licensing Administration
- NAICS
- Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (53311)
- SIC
- Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standards-Essential Patents (SEP) & FRAND Advisory (BPAHAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)
Keywords
Where Access Advance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Access Advance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Patent Portfolio Licensing - HEVC Advance: Licensees pay royalties for products incorporating HEVC/H.265 encoding and/or decoding capability. Royalty rates are tailored based on product type, country-of-sale, and compliance. Initial 5-year period with royalty rate increases capped at 20% after that period.
- Patent Portfolio Licensing - VVC Advance: Licensees pay royalties for products incorporating VVC/H.266 encoding and/or decoding capability. Early adopters who obtain license before first sale receive 10% discount during initial 5-year period ending December 31, 2025.
- Video Distribution Patent Pool Licensing: Single one-stop-shop license for internet streaming covering HEVC, VVC, AV1, and VP9 codecs with fixed tiered pricing scaled to the size of the video distributor's business.
- Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement (MCBA): Administrative agreement providing discounts to aggregate royalty rates and caps for products implementing both HEVC and VVC codecs, compared to separate pool rates. Also offers streamlined reporting and other benefits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | HEVC Advance Patent Pool - Product-based tiered royalties |
| Subscription | Annual | VVC Advance Patent Pool - Early adopter discount |
| Subscription | Annual | VDP Pool - Business-size scaled royalties |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Access Advance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Access Advance is an independent patent pool licensing administrator that develops, administers, and manages patent pools covering standard-essential patents (SEPs) for major video codec technologies including HEVC/H.265, VVC/H.266, VP9, and AV1. The company licenses these patent portfolios on behalf of patent owners to device manufacturers, streaming platforms, and other implementers under FRAND terms, providing one-stop-shop licensing in place of numerous bilateral agreements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HEVC Advance: Patent pool licensing program for HEVC/H.265 video codec technology essential patents.
- VVC Advance
- Video Distribution Patent Pool (VDP Pool)
- Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement (MCBA)
Products and services
- HEVC Advance Patent Pool Patent pool licensing program providing a single worldwide Patent Portfolio License for patents essential to the HEVC/H.265 video codec standard. Designed for device manufacturers and software implementers whose products include HEVC encoding and/or decoding functionality, with royalty rates tailored by product type, country-of-sale, and compliance.
- VVC Advance Patent Pool Patent pool licensing program for patents essential to the VVC/H.266 and VSEI video codec standards. Provides single-license coverage for device manufacturers and software implementers, with an early-adopter discount for companies licensing before first sale.
- Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement (MCBA) An optional administrative agreement available to licensees of both the HEVC Advance and VVC Advance patent pools who implement products containing both codecs. Provides aggregate royalty discounts, caps, and streamlined reporting versus paying the two pools separately.
- Video Distribution Patent Pool (VDP Pool) Patent pool licensing program offering a single license for standard-essential patents covering all four major video codecs (HEVC/H.265, VVC/H.266, VP9, and AV1) used by internet video streaming and distribution providers. Features fixed tiered royalties scaled to the size of the video distributor's business.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced transaction costs compared to negotiating 56 separate bilateral licenses
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Access Advance
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Access Advance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Access Advance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Sharp CorporationcoreJoined Access Advance Video Distribution Patent Pool as Licensor, expanding the pool's patent portfolio for modern video codec technologies including HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1.
- CB ClinecoreJoined the VDP Pool as Licensor to expand portfolio of patents for video codec technologies.
- SK PlanetcoreJoined the VDP Pool as Licensor for video codec patent licensing.
- Telechips, Inc.coreJoined the VDP Pool as Licensor for video codec patent portfolio expansion.
- Dolby Laboratories Inc.corePatent holder administered through Access Advance's VDP Pool. Filed suit against Snap Inc. in US and Brazil for AV1 and HEVC patent infringement - first assertion of AV1 patents by an Access Advance licensor.
- Criterion EconomicscoreConducted independent economic analysis confirming that the VDP Pool's royalty structure is fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) compliant across subscription, advertising-supported, and hybrid monetization models.
- HisensecoreJoined HEVC Advance Patent Pool for video compression technology licensing.
- XiaomicoreJoined HEVC Advance and VVC Advance Patent Pools as both Licensor and Licensee, highlighting support for simplified and balanced video codec licensing with broad patent coverage implications.
- AlibabacoreSigned as licensee to VDP Pool for video streaming services coverage.
- ZTEcoreSigned as licensee to VDP Pool.
- YoukucoreSigned as licensee to VDP Pool for video streaming content licensing.
- Global Technology LeaderscoreMultiple technology companies joined VDP Pool as both licensees and licensors at launch, including major streaming and device companies.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Access Advance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- InterDigital: InterDigital is a major patent holder and licensor in video (HEVC, VVC), wireless, and other technology standards with a sizable licensing business. While not primarily a pool administrator, it competes for SEP licensing revenue in the same codec space and sometimes participates in or bypasses pools altogether.
- RPX Corporation: RPX is a defensive patent aggregator and patent risk management firm that helps implementers reduce SEP litigation exposure. It is comparable to Access Advance as a participant in the SEP licensing ecosystem, though it operates on the buyer/implementer side rather than the pool administration side.
- Dolby Laboratories: Dolby is both a licensor through Access Advance's VDP Pool and the owner of Via Licensing Alliance, making it a peer that operates in the same SEP monetization ecosystem. It holds significant video and audio codec SEPs and is a key counterparty in the codec licensing landscape.
- Intellectual Ventures: Intellectual Ventures is a large patent holding and licensing firm that aggregates inventions and licenses them to implementers. It is comparable as a major independent patent licensing administrator that monetizes technology IP through licensing programs similar in spirit to a patent pool.
Others
- Aistemos: Aistemos provides patent analytics and competitive intelligence tools that map SEP ownership and licensing. It serves as an enabling technology provider that supports pool administrators, licensors, and licensees in tracking the same SEP ecosystems that Access Advance operates in.
- IPlytics: IPlytics is a patent analytics platform specializing in SEP tracking, standard essentiality assessment, and FRAND analysis. It is comparable as an ecosystem enabler serving the same pool administrators, licensors, and licensees that interact with Access Advance.
- Marconi Group: Marconi Group operates the Marconi Patent Pool and similar licensing administration services for wireless and other technology standards. It is comparable as an independent pool administrator in the broader SEP licensing ecosystem, though focused on different standards than Access Advance.
Direct peers
- Sisvel: Sisvel is a leading global patent pool administrator that directly competes with Access Advance in HEVC, VVC, and AV1 licensing. Both companies administer competing pools for the same video codec SEPs and target the same device and streaming implementer customers.
- Via Licensing Alliance: Via Licensing Alliance (formerly MPEG LA, now owned by Dolby) is the largest and most established patent pool administrator, having created the original AVC/H.264 pool. It is a direct competitor across multiple video and audio codec pools and represents the incumbent standard for patent pool administration.
- Avanci: Avanci operates one-stop patent pool licensing programs for cellular and IoT standards (4G, 5G, Wi-Fi) covering millions of connected devices. It is comparable to Access Advance as a modern patent pool administrator targeting OEMs and device makers with single-license pool structures.
Market position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Access Advance social profiles
Digital presenceAccess Advance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Access Advance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Access Advance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Access Advance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Access Advance
What does Access Advance do?
Access Advance is an independent patent pool licensing administrator that develops, administers, and manages patent pools covering standard-essential patents (SEPs) for major video codec technologies including HEVC/H.265, VVC/H.266, VP9, and AV1. The company licenses these patent portfolios on behalf of patent owners to device manufacturers, streaming platforms, and other implementers under FRAND terms, providing one-stop-shop licensing in place of numerous bilateral agreements.
Is Access Advance a public or private company?
Access Advance is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Access Advance founded?
Access Advance was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Access Advance based?
Access Advance is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Access Advance make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Patent Portfolio Licensing - HEVC Advance is the primary driver. The others are patent Portfolio Licensing - VVC Advance, video Distribution Patent Pool Licensing and multi-Codec Bridging Agreement (MCBA).
Who are Access Advance's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are InterDigital, RPX Corporation, Dolby Laboratories and Intellectual Ventures. Others are Aistemos, IPlytics and Marconi Group. Direct peers are Sisvel, Via Licensing Alliance and Avanci.
Does Access Advance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Access Advance.
What industry is Access Advance in?
Access Advance's product category is Patent Pool Licensing Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAL, Standards-Essential Patents (SEP) & FRAND Advisory, with a secondary code of BPAHAMAA, Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management. Its NAICS code is 53311 and its SIC code is 6794.