What inventRight does

inventRight is a privately held education, coaching, and licensing services company founded in 1999 by Stephen Key and Andrew Krauss, headquartered in Glenbrook, Nevada and operating as an LLC under California law. The company teaches individual inventors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses how to license product ideas to established manufacturers and retailers rather than build their own production operations. Core service delivery rests on a proprietary 10-step licensing methodology refined over 25+ years, a curated database of 1,500+ companies across 30+ industries actively seeking new product ideas, and a practitioner coaching bench composed of successful inventors who have themselves licensed multiple products. The product portfolio spans three primary tiers: the original Coaching Program at $3,495 for 9 months of 1-on-1 mentorship; the Gateway Program at $6,999 offering full-service outbound outreach to vetted companies with a 10-response guarantee or money back; and APEX at $17,999, the flagship done-with-you engagement that builds a complete licensing package from idea vetting through negotiation. Supporting assets include the inventRightTV YouTube channel (1,100+ videos, 10M+ views), weekly Licensing Playbook Live webcasts, the SmartPitch LinkedIn training module, an in-house design studio producing sell sheets and 3D virtual prototypes, and Stephen Key's published books including the bestseller One Simple Idea. Customer outcomes cited include products reaching retail at Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, PetSmart, Amazon, and Disney, with individual examples ranging from 400,000 to over 1 million units sold and one alumnus (iLock) generating $100 million in cumulative sales with 200+ employees. The business model is fundamentally education-and-services, monetized via one-time program fees with no disclosed subscription or recurring revenue component, distributed globally across 70+ countries through content marketing, media appearances, podcast features, and the founders' personal brands.

Name

inventRight

Legal name

inventRight LLC

Website

https://inventright.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

inventRight is a privately held coaching and licensing services company founded in 1999 that teaches individual inventors and small businesses how to license product ideas to established manufacturers and retailers, offering tiered programs from $3,495 to $17,999 supported by a 1,500+ company outreach database and 25+ years of methodology refinement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Invention Licensing Coaching

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product Management (Core) (EDABAHAC), Product Strategy & Discovery (Vision, Roadmapping, OKRs) (EDABAHAD)

Keywords

• Invention licensing coaching
• Product licensing services
• Inventor education programs
• Open innovation consulting
• Intellectual property licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coaching Program Revenue: One-time coaching program fees covering 9 months of hands-on inventor guidance, mentorship, weekly coaching calls, and access to resources and community.
2. Gateway Program Revenue: Full-service licensing program where inventRight performs company outreach, creates sell sheets, and manages communications on behalf of the inventor. Guaranteed 10 real company responses or money back. Offered as one-time payment or 3 installments.
3. APEX Program Revenue: Comprehensive flagship engagement covering idea selection, concept development, IP strategy, 3D renderings, sell sheet, sizzle video, and outreach to 10 companies through negotiation. Premium-priced done-with-you service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

inventRight educates and supports individual inventors in licensing their product ideas to established manufacturing and retail companies through structured coaching and done-with-you services. Its three core paid programs are a 9-month Coaching Program ($3,495), the Gateway full-service outreach program ($6,999) that includes a guarantee of 10 real company responses or money back, and the flagship APEX done-with-you program ($17,999) that builds a complete licensing-ready package from idea selection through negotiation. Supporting assets include a proprietary database of 1,500+ vetted companies, a 10-step licensing methodology, an in-house design studio, and a community of practicing inventor-coaches.

Product overview

inventRight is a coaching and licensing support platform for inventors. The company offers three main paid programs: the Coaching Program ($3,495/9 months) for step-by-step guidance, the Gateway Program ($6,999) for full-service company outreach with a 10-response guarantee, and the APEX program ($17,999 application-only) as the flagship offering that builds complete licensing packages from idea selection through negotiation. Additional offerings include the SmartPitch LinkedIn training module and the weekly Licensing Playbook Live Webcast. The platform also provides educational content including Stephen Key's books (One Simple Idea, Sell Your Ideas With or Without a Patent, Become a Professional Inventor, Licensing Ideas using LinkedIn) and access to the inventRight CRM member portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gateway: Full-service licensing program with professional outreach, offering 10 company responses or money-back guarantee.
• Become a Professional Inventor
• APEX
• inventRightTV
• SmartPitch

Products and services

• APEX Flagship done-with-you licensing program priced at $17,999 (or 3 payments of $6,250) for individual inventors. Includes idea selection & vetting, concept development, line extensions, IP strategy, 3D visual renderings, one-page sell sheet, sizzle video, outreach to 10 targeted companies, and response handling and negotiation. Limited availability by application.
• Gateway Program Full-service licensing program priced at $6,999 (or 3 payments of $2,450) for individual inventors and entrepreneurs. inventRight handles professional sell sheet creation, outbound company outreach and presentation, and expert negotiation support on the inventor's behalf. Guarantees 10 real company responses or a full refund, with access to a database of 1,500+ vetted companies across 30+ industries.
• Coaching Program (Become A Professional Inventor) Original 9-month inventor coaching program priced at $3,495 for individual inventors. Provides 1-on-1 coaching sessions, step-by-step licensing system training, community access, and resource library. Includes a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and is designed to teach inventors to pitch, protect, and license their ideas with confidence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400,000 units sold by inventor Veronica R.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Inventors Groups of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerinventRight co-founded Inventors Groups of America in 2017, a non-profit dedicated to supporting inventor associations across the United States. The organization runs online meetups averaging 200 attendees and produces a monthly newsletter and educational webinar series. inventRight team members contribute to content and programming.
• Bay Area Inventors' AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder Andrew Krauss's leadership as president, the Bay Area Inventors' Alliance grew into one of the most active and well-established associations in the country during his tenure.
• SmithsonianminorOthersOne of the notable organizations inventor members have worked with through inventRight's licensing programs.
• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerinventRight has collaborated with USPTO on conferences and events. Andrew Krauss has been featured as a speaker at USPTO conferences. The company participates in PTAB's Inventor Hour @ the USPTO and USPTO's Invention Convention.
• U.S. ArmyminorOthersListed among notable organizations inventor members have worked with through inventRight's licensing programs.
• University of MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among notable organizations inventRight has worked with. Michigan Inventors Coalition holds an Inventor Summit where inventRight team speaks.
• UC MercedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among notable organizations inventRight has worked with. UC Merced collaborated on events and educational programs.
• Stanford University School of DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerinventRight team has presented at Stanford University School of Design as part of educational outreach.
• Taylor SwiftminorOthersOne of the notable brands/persons who have endorsed or worked with inventors associated with inventRight. Stephen Key's products have been endorsed by Taylor Swift.
• Michael JordanminorOthersCelebrity who has endorsed products Stephen Key brought to market through licensing.
• Alex TrebekminorOthersCelebrity who has endorsed products Stephen Key brought to market through licensing.
• DisneyminorOthersProducts created by Stephen Key retail in Disney stores and parks worldwide.
• American InventorminorOthersListed as a partner/relationship in the 'Who We've Worked With' section.
• Fremantle MediaminorOthersListed as a partner in the 'Who We've Worked With' section.
• White House (Advisory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndrew Krauss advised the White House on innovation matters as part of his work in the inventor community.
• Various Manufacturing and Retail Companies (1,500+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGateway program maintains relationships with 1,500+ companies across 30+ industries actively seeking new product ideas. Companies contacted include Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, PetSmart, and many others.
• Fishbone (Fishbone Packaging Innovation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStephen Key is part of the team responsible for launching Fishbone, a sustainable packaging innovation. This is a separate venture/product from inventRight's core licensing coaching business.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• InventHelp: The largest US invention assistance company, providing invention submission services and licensing support to individual inventors. Most directly comparable peer — operates in the same category (invention-to-license) and serves the same solo-inventor customer, but at a much larger scale and with a heavier emphasis on paid submission services rather than coaching.
• Edison Nation: Platform that connects independent inventors with manufacturers and retailers for licensing and product commercialization. Closely comparable business model — bridges inventor IP to corporate product pipelines and monetizes through fees/royalties, though historically more marketplace-oriented than coaching-oriented.
• Davison Design & Development: Long-standing invention services firm offering idea development, prototyping, patenting, and licensing support to individual inventors. Direct comparable along the full invention-to-market services stack, including licensing outreach to manufacturers — a more product-development-heavy alternative to inventRight's coaching-led model.
• Idea Buyer: Licensing intermediary that evaluates and markets inventions to manufacturers on behalf of independent inventors. Operates in the same invention-licensing category with comparable customer (solo inventor) and comparable outcome model (paid service, manufacturer outreach), but with a different pricing/payout structure.

Emerging players

• Inventors Digest: Long-running media publication focused on independent inventors, including licensing education and inventor resources. Comparable ecosystem role — content and education targeted at the same audience inventRight serves — but as a media/educational resource rather than a paid coaching/licensing service.
• IPWatchdog: IP-focused media and events company (including IPWatchdog LIVE conferences) covering patent strategy, licensing, and inventor topics. Adjacent to inventRight on the thought-leadership and education axis and reaching overlapping inventor and IP-attorney audiences.
• Bold Patents: Patent law firm focused on independent inventors and small businesses, with patent filing, prosecution, and licensing advisory services. Overlaps with inventRight's patent-strategy content and serves the same solo-inventor segment, but is a legal-services provider rather than a coaching/licensing-outreach company.

Broad incumbents

• LegalZoom: Large online legal services platform offering patent filing, trademark, and small-business legal products. Touches the same solo-inventor IP-protection journey as inventRight, but operates as a broad-based legal services incumbent rather than a specialized licensing coaching/outreach business.

Others

• IndieGoGo: Crowdfunding platform used by independent inventors to test, validate, and pre-sell new products. Adjacent to inventRight at the 'inventor reaching the market' stage — many inventors use crowdfunding instead of (or before pursuing) licensing; overlapping customer persona.
• Shark Tank (ABC program): Television program where independent entrepreneurs pitch products for investment and licensing/retail deals to high-profile business figures. Conceptually adjacent — popularized the inventor-pitches-products-to-decision-makers model that inventRight operationalizes at scale through coaching and direct corporate outreach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/inventRight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 inventRight