MOSAID Technologies

What MOSAID Technologies does

MOSAID Technologies Incorporated is a private intellectual property management company founded in 1975 in Ottawa and currently owned by a consortium led by private equity firm Sterling Partners (which acquired the company in 2011 after it fended off a competing bid from WiLAN). From 2013 to 2021 the company operated as Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc. before reverting to the MOSAID name. The firm is privately held, employs 51–100 people, and operates from offices in Ottawa (Canada), Plano, Texas (US), Tokyo (Japan), and Luxembourg, giving it coverage across the principal semiconductor and device-making geographies.

The company's core business is patent licensing and patent portfolio management. MOSAID manages more than 12,500 patents and patent applications spanning semiconductor process technologies, memory devices (DRAM, Flash), and communications/wireless user-interface technology, organized around three customer segments: patent owners seeking to monetize their IP, technology companies needing licenses, and investors in patent assets. Its subsidiary Core Wireless Licensing holds and enforces smartphone UI patents, and MOSAID itself continues limited Flash memory R&D. Core Wireless litigation against LG Electronics produced a $2.28M jury verdict plus $456K in enhanced damages for willful infringement, and a later $3.5M jury award with $0.06–$0.10 per-unit royalty rates, illustrating the licensing-and-litigation model.

MOSAID makes money almost entirely through negotiated patent licensing royalties and revenue-sharing arrangements on acquired portfolios, supplemented by portfolio acquisitions and sales. Distribution is direct and enterprise-only: senior licensing officers negotiate case-by-case agreements with large semiconductor manufacturers and mobile device makers, without intermediaries or digital channels. The company has also used strategic privateering-style transactions — notably a 2011 deal with Nokia and Microsoft — and co-founded the ORoPO Open Register of Patent Ownership with IBM, Microsoft, ARM and others to differentiate itself from "patent troll" actors.

Name

MOSAID Technologies

Legal name

MOSAID Technologies Incorporated

Website

https://mosaid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MOSAID Technologies is a private, PE-owned (Sterling Partners) intellectual property management company that licenses a 12,500+ patent portfolio in semiconductor, memory, and wireless technologies to large device makers and chip manufacturers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Licensing

NAICS

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer (BPAHAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA), IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK), Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Patent licensing services
• Intellectual property management
• Semiconductor patents
• Patent portfolio acquisition
• Technology licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Plano

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Patent Licensing: MOSAID generates revenue by licensing its patent portfolio to semiconductor manufacturers, mobile device makers, and other technology companies. Licensing agreements are negotiated directly with implementers who use the patented technology in their products. Royalties are collected through license fees, including per-unit royalty arrangements as demonstrated in litigation outcomes (e.g., $0.06–$0.10 per unit royalty from LG case).
2. Patent Acquisitions and Sales: MOSAID acquires patents from other patent owners and enters revenue-sharing arrangements. The company evaluates, acquires, and subsequently monetizes patent portfolios, sharing revenues with original patent owners. This model was expanded in 2007.
3. RPX Corporation Licensing Transactions: MOSAID participates in licensing transactions arranged through RPX Corporation, a patent aggregation firm that provides defensive patent solutions to companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MOSAID Technologies is an intellectual property management company that licenses its portfolio of more than 12,500 patents and patent applications to semiconductor manufacturers, mobile device makers, and other technology companies. The company also acquires patents from other patent owners, enters revenue-sharing arrangements, and monetizes patent portfolios through direct licensing agreements and, when good-faith negotiations fail, through litigation.

Product overview

MOSAID Technologies (formerly Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc.) is an intellectual property management company specializing in patent licensing, acquisition, and enforcement. The company operates primarily through its core services: Patent Licensing (licensing its portfolio of over 12,500 patents to semiconductor manufacturers and technology companies), Patent Acquisitions and Sales (acquiring patents and forming revenue-sharing partnerships), and services tailored for patent owners, potential licensees, and investors. The company maintains subsidiary operations through Core Wireless and conducts Flash memory technology R&D. MOSAID's focus areas include semiconductors, communications technology, and automotive technology sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Licensing MOSAID licenses its patent portfolios (including its semiconductor process portfolio covering manufacturing methods and physical structures of semiconductor memory and processor products) to semiconductor manufacturers, mobile device makers, and other technology companies.
• Patent Acquisitions and Sales MOSAID acquires patents from other patent owners and forms revenue-sharing partnerships, expanding its patent portfolio for subsequent licensing.
• Services for Patent Owners
• Services for Potential Licensees
• Services for Investors

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully licensed virtually the entire commodity DRAM industry to MOSAID memory patents
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ORoPO (Open Register of Patent Ownership)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2015MOSAID co-founded ORoPO, the world's first Open Register of Patent Ownership. Other founder members include IBM, Microsoft, ARM, BAE Systems, Shazam, Patent Properties, and Finjan. ORoPO aims to provide an open data register of patent ownership accessible at no cost, addressing the estimated 25% inaccuracy in patent ownership records globally.
• RPX CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRPX Corporation entered into a licensing transaction with MOSAID/Conversant. RPX is a patent aggregation firm that provides defensive patent solutions to technology companies, helping manage patent risk.
• NokiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOSAID negotiated a high-profile privateering-style deal with Nokia and Microsoft. This involved a strategic partnership arrangement related to Nokia patent assets.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOSAID's deal with Nokia and Microsoft involved a privateering-style arrangement as part of the broader Nokia patent landscape.
• QimondaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConversations took place about a potential arrangement where Conversant/MOSAID would take over the running of German company Qimonda's patent portfolio.
• Asian and US Tech Companies (unnamed)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOSAID's patent portfolio doubled in size around 2013 through agreements with unnamed technology companies based in Asia and the US, involving both patent portfolio acquisitions and revenue-sharing arrangements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WiLAN: Canadian patent licensing and monetization company with a similar model of acquiring and licensing technology patents, primarily in wireless and semiconductor domains. WiLAN previously attempted to acquire MOSAID, making it a direct comparable in size, geography, and strategy.
• Acacia Research: US-based patent licensing company that acquires and licenses patented technologies across semiconductors, wireless, and other high-tech sectors. Closely comparable business model of acquiring patent portfolios and monetizing through licensing and litigation.
• InterDigital: Mobile and video technology R&D and licensing company that holds fundamental wireless patents and licenses them to device makers globally. Overlaps with MOSAID's wireless/smartphone UI patents and semiconductor process IP.
• Xperi (formerly Tessera): Semiconductor and packaging IP licensing company with deep expertise in memory and interconnect patents. Comparable to MOSAID's DRAM and semiconductor process licensing business.
• RPX Corporation: Patent aggregation and defensive licensing firm that has entered into licensing transactions with MOSAID. Operates as both a counterparty and a peer in the patent risk management and licensing market.
• Unwired Planet: Patent licensing company focused on wireless technology patents, where MOSAID CEO Boris Teksler was a former executive. Comparable business model of monetizing mobile/wireless patent portfolios.
• Pendrell Corporation: IP-focused holding and licensing company that acquires and monetizes technology patents across wireless and semiconductor categories. Comparable smaller-scale NPE monetization strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Intellectual Ventures: Large-scale invention and IP investment firm that acquires, creates, and licenses patents globally. Significantly larger and broader than MOSAID but operates in the same patent licensing and monetization space.
• Philips Intellectual Property & Standards: Royal Philips' IP licensing division monetizes a vast portfolio of technology patents including semiconductor and communications IP. Larger, broader incumbent with overlapping licensing activity in MOSAID's core technology areas.

Emerging players

• VLSI Technology LLC: Patent assertion entity spun out of NXP with a focus on semiconductor process and circuit patents. A more recent but directly comparable patent licensing peer in the semiconductor domain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MOSAID Technologies