IoT and M2M Technologies

What IoT and M2M Technologies does

IoT and M2M Technologies, LLC is a privately held patent licensing and technology transfer company founded circa 2015 in Evanston, Illinois by entrepreneur John Nix. The company develops and monetizes a portfolio of approximately 50 patent applications and granted patents addressing four distinct IoT security technology families: (1) secure Wi-Fi device configuration via Device Provisioning Protocol / Wi-Fi Easy Connect for devices with limited user interfaces, (2) authenticated ECDHE key exchange with a key server for mutual authentication without traditional X.509 certificate overhead, (3) Smart Secure Platform firmware transfer for secure delivery to iSIM/iUICC System-on-a-Chip secure elements in next-generation ETSI 5G networks, and (4) a shared nonvolatile memory interface between radio modules and processors that enables independent sleep states and 5-10 year battery life for IoT endpoints. Nix personally is listed as inventor on roughly 75 granted patents and 30 pending applications with 2,000+ combined forward citations, several in the 99th percentile for citations in their class and age.

The company's business model is patent monetization rather than product sales. Revenue derives from negotiated patent licensing agreements (royalty streams) and one-time patent sale or technology transfer transactions with strategic acquirers. Disclosed counterparties include Huawei, which acquired 9 eSIM and Smart Secure Platform patents in 2020, and Facebook (Meta), which acquired 10 Wi-Fi Easy Connect patents in 2021. The company has raised four rounds of undisclosed venture financing over a five-year window, plus debt financing that has since been retired, and previously divested a business line (Vobal Technologies). Pricing, royalty rates, and licensing terms are negotiated individually; no public fee schedule exists. Distribution is direct B2B engagement with IoT device manufacturers, mobile network operators, semiconductor companies, and Wi-Fi/networking equipment vendors whose products must implement ETSI 5G, GSMA eSIM, or Wi-Fi Alliance DPP standards.

The company's strategic posture is that of a boutique IP holding entity: founder-led, single-office, standards-aligned, and reliant on episodic transactions rather than recurring product revenue. Go-to-market emphasis is on direct outreach to standards-driven licensees and recognition through intellectual property industry bodies (IPLAC Creator of the Year, 2016). The portfolio's relevance is amplified by the industry migration to post-quantum cryptography and the rollout of iSIM-capable 5G devices, both of which fall within the company's patented technology scope.

Name

IoT and M2M Technologies

Legal name

IoT and M2M Technologies, LLC

Website

https://iot-and-m2m.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IoT and M2M Technologies is a privately held patent licensing company founded by John Nix that develops and monetizes patented IoT security technologies covering Wi-Fi device provisioning, authenticated ECDHE key exchange, eSIM firmware transfer, and low-power radio interfaces for IoT and M2M device manufacturers and network operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IoT Security Patent Licensing

NAICS

Communications Equipment Manufacturing (3342)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Wi‑Fi IoT & Device Onboarding/Provisioning (802.1X, DPSK, MDM integrations) (HDAFACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

IoT/M2M Mobile Network Operators (LPWAN, NB-IoT/LTE-M) (HDAIAAAH), IoT Connectivity Management (Private APN, SIM/eSIM, Device Connectivity) (HDAIAGAG)

Keywords

• IoT security patents
• Patent licensing technology
• Authenticated key exchange
• Embedded SIM security
• Post-quantum cryptography

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Patent Licensing: Licensing of proprietary IoT security patent portfolio including authenticated ECDHE, secure device configuration, firmware transfer, and radio interface technologies to device manufacturers and network operators.
2. Patent Sales and Technology Transfer: Sale of patent families to strategic acquirers. Notable transactions include assignment of 9 eSIM and Smart Secure Platform patents to Huawei (2020) and 10 Wi-Fi Easy Connect patents to Facebook/Meta (2021).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IoT and M2M Technologies, LLC is a patent-focused technology company that develops and monetizes proprietary IoT security and M2M communications technologies through patent portfolio licensing, patent sales, and technology transfer agreements. The company holds approximately 50 patent applications and patents spanning secure WiFi device configuration, authenticated ECDHE key exchange, smart secure platform firmware distribution, and power-efficient radio module interfaces for IoT devices.

Product overview

IoT and M2M Technologies, LLC is a patent-focused technology company offering a portfolio of patented and patent-pending solutions for securing IoT and M2M communications. The company's offerings comprise four core technology families: (1) Secure IoT Device WiFi Connection Technology using Wi-Fi Easy Connect/DPP for password-free device provisioning; (2) Authenticated ECDHE Key Exchange with Key Server for quantum-resistant mutual authentication and secure key exchange; (3) Smart Secure Platform (SSP) Firmware Transfer technology for secure delivery of firmware to iSIM/iUICC secure elements; and (4) Storage Memory Unit with Shared Nonvolatile Memory Interface enabling independent sleep states for processors and radio modules to achieve 5-10 year battery life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secure IoT Device WiFi Connection Technology Technology for securely connecting IoT devices to WiFi networks using Device Provisioning Protocol (DPP) / Wi-Fi Easy Connect, eliminating the need for manual password entry on devices with limited user interfaces. Licensed to device manufacturers and networking vendors.
• Authenticated ECDHE Key Exchange with Key Server Secure encryption key exchange system that enables a network to use a protected key server in the ECDHE key exchange to provide mutual authentication and forward secrecy without requiring traditional X.509 certificates, with hybrid post-quantum cryptography integration. Licensed to network operators and equipment vendors.
• Smart Secure Platform (SSP) Firmware Transfer Technology for secure firmware distribution from a server to primary platforms (iSIM/iUICC) using ECC and RSA-based certificates resistant to quantum computers for future ETSI 5G networks. Licensed to mobile network operators and SIM providers.
• Shared Nonvolatile Memory Interface for Radio Module Patent-protected interface technology allowing a radio module to communicate with a processor while supporting independent sleep states, enabling 5-10 year battery life for IoT applications and supporting micro SD cards connecting directly to 4G LTE (NB-IoT) networks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Patent portfolio generates revenue through licensing, sales, and technology transfer agreements with strategic acquirers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Facebook (Meta)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 202110 patents and patent applications related to Wi-Fi Easy Connect were assigned to Facebook (Meta) in 2021. This represents a significant technology transfer of wireless connectivity security intellectual property.
• HuaweicoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 20209 patents and patent applications related to eSIM and Smart Secure Platform technology were assigned to Huawei in 2020. This represents a significant strategic technology transfer of IoT security intellectual property.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Acacia Research: Acacia Research acquires and licenses patent portfolios across wireless, communications, and IoT technologies, mirroring the asset-only patent licensing/sale model that IoT and M2M Technologies employs.
• RPX Corporation: RPX operates a defensive patent aggregation and licensing platform used by implementers to clear IP risk in IoT and wireless standards — a structural complement to (and pricing reference for) the licensing/sale transactions IoT and M2M Technologies executes.
• Sisvel: Sisvel administers patent pools and licensing programs in wireless, IoT, and related standards (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular IoT/M2M), giving a reference point for how IoT and M2M Technologies' Wi-Fi Easy Connect and iSIM patents could be packaged.
• InterDigital: InterDigital is a publicly traded R&D and patent licensing company whose portfolio underpins wireless (Wi-Fi, 3G/4G/5G), IoT, and video standards — directly comparable to IoT and M2M Technologies' standards-aligned patent monetization model.
• Conversant Intellectual Property Management: Conversant licenses standards-essential and implementation-essential patents in wireless and networking — directly comparable in standards-aligned patent monetization to IoT and M2M Technologies' Wi-Fi and 5G/IPR play.
• Intellectual Ventures (now Invention Science Fund / IP Investments Group): Intellectual Ventures pioneered large-scale, multi-family patent aggregation and licensing across communications, semiconductors, and IoT — the closest scale analogue to what IoT and M2M Technologies operates, though at materially larger scale.
• WiLAN (a Quarterhill company): WiLAN historically monetized wireless and communications patent portfolios through licensing and litigation programs, closely analogous to IoT and M2M Technologies' acquisition-and-licensing play in Wi-Fi and cellular IoT.

Broad incumbents

• Ericsson (Patent Licensing): Ericsson monetizes a substantial cellular and IoT standards-essential patent portfolio via licensing, making it a direct counterpart/benchmark for the iSIM/iUICC and 5G-related patents held by IoT and M2M Technologies.
• Nokia (Patent Licensing / Nokia Technologies): Nokia operates one of the largest cellular and Wi-Fi standards-essential patent licensing programs globally; relevant both as a potential acquirer/licensee of IoT and M2M Technologies patents and as a benchmark for licensing terms in 5G and Wi-Fi standards.
• Qualcomm (Qualcomm Technology Licensing): Qualcomm's QTL division licenses essential patents across cellular, Wi-Fi, and IoT — relevant as both a potential licensing counterpart and a pricing benchmark for ECDHE/key-exchange and Wi-Fi Easy Connect patents.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 IoT and M2M Technologies