Sky Technologies
Sky Technologies LLC is a Boston-based intellectual property licensing firm founded in 1996 that monetizes a portfolio of eight US patents on online negotiation technology by filing patent infringement suits against enterprise software vendors and converting them into confidential license and settlement agreements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sky Technologies does
Sky Technologies LLC is a Boston-based intellectual property licensing firm founded in 1996 (originally as TradeAccess, later Orzo) by Jeffrey M. Conklin, a former Digital Equipment legal counsel and technology strategist. Sky holds a portfolio of eight issued United States patents — 6,141,653; 6,332,135; 6,336,105; 6,338,050; 7,149,724; 7,162,458; 7,194,442; and 7,222,109 — covering systems and methods for iterative, multivariate online negotiation, ordering of sample quantities, electronic non-repudiation, user-supplied context, automated systems of record, process mining, automated iterative development negotiations, and contract authority. The underlying technology is a multivariate negotiations engine that enables sponsors to create buyer/seller communities, propose and iterate across multiple variables (price, terms, conditions), and maintain a permanent transaction history; supporting patents extend the engine into sample-quantity ordering, international transaction context, automated contract systems of record, process mining against unique transaction identifiers, and contract-authority enforcement.
Sky's business model is patent licensing driven by patent enforcement litigation. The firm's go-to-market identifies enterprise software vendors whose products implement online negotiation processes — covering supply chain management, supplier relationship management, customer relationship management, product lifecycle management, collaborative product design, and contract management software — files patent infringement suits, and converts those suits into confidential settlement and license agreements. Documented licensee/counterparty relationships include IBM, i2 Technologies, Oracle, SAP, and Ariba (settled 2005–2010), plus an additional six-company enforcement wave filed in May 2011 against Microsoft, JDA Software, Siemens, Dassault Systemes, Emptoris, and Manhattan Associates. The company is structured as a privately held Massachusetts LLC operating from a single Boston office and is reported in source material as a one-person operation rebuilt after predecessor TradeAccess/Orzo was forced to liquidate during the post-dot-com downturn, with founder Conklin repurchasing the patents from the prior venture-capital owners.
Pricing and revenue terms are uniformly confidential across all settlement agreements and no revenue, ARR, or licensing-fee figures are publicly disclosed. The firm has no AI/ML products, APIs, or SaaS offerings disclosed; its sole commercial asset is the patent portfolio, which has withstood repeated USPTO reexamination challenges from SAP and has been judicially confirmed as owned by Sky through rulings in the Eastern District of Texas, the Federal Circuit, and denial of certiorari by the US Supreme Court. As of the most recent documented activity (May 2011), the company remains in operating status with no announced closure, acquisition, or change of control.
Sky Technologies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sky Technologies
- Legal name
- Sky Technologies LLC
- Website
- https://sky-tech.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sky Technologies LLC is a Boston-based intellectual property licensing firm founded in 1996 that monetizes a portfolio of eight US patents on online negotiation technology by filing patent infringement suits against enterprise software vendors and converting them into confidential license and settlement agreements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sky Technologies industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intellectual Property Licensing
- NAICS
- Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533), Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533110)
- SIC
- Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer (BPAHAMAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)
Keywords
Where Sky Technologies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sky Technologies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Patent Licensing: Sky Technologies generates revenue by licensing its portfolio of US patents covering online negotiation processes to enterprise software companies. The licensing agreements are typically confidential and result from patent infringement litigation settlements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Sky Technologies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sky Technologies LLC is an intellectual property licensing firm that owns a portfolio of eight issued United States Patents covering online negotiation processes. The company licenses these patents to enterprise software companies through direct licensing agreements, typically structured as settlements of patent infringement litigation. Licensed technologies span iterative multivariate negotiations, process mining, contract authority, electronic non-repudiation, and automated system of record capabilities used in supply chain, CRM, and contract management software.
Product overview
Sky Technologies is an intellectual property licensing firm offering a portfolio of eight United States Patents focused on online negotiation technology. The company's patent portfolio includes US Patents 6,141,653, 6,332,135, 6,336,105, 6,338,050, 7,149,724, 7,162,458, 7,194,442, and 7,222,109 covering various aspects of multivariate negotiations over networks, process mining, automated systems of record, and contract authority. The company licenses these patents to enterprise software companies in the supply chain management, supplier relationship management, customer relationship management, product lifecycle management, collaborative product design, and contract management software industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Negotiation Patents and Technology A portfolio of eight issued US patents covering online negotiation processes including iterative multivariate negotiations, ordering sample quantities, electronic non-repudiation, user-supplied context, automated systems of record, process mining, automated iterative development negotiations, and contract authority. Licensed to enterprise software companies for use in supply chain management, supplier and customer relationship management, product lifecycle management, collaborative product design, and contract management software applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully licensed patents to 5 major software companies (IBM, i2 Technologies, Oracle, SAP, Ariba)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sky Technologies
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sky Technologies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Sky Technologies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SAPcoreSky and SAP entered into a patent license and settlement agreement effective September 9, 2010, resolving the long-standing patent infringement lawsuit. The settlement ended disputes including multiple reexamination proceedings and appeals to the US Supreme Court. Terms and financial arrangements are confidential.
- NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunities ProgramminorSky's President Jeff Conklin served as expert advisor to the NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program reviewing applications for $4.7 billion in federal stimulus funding for broadband infrastructure deployment.
- OraclecoreOracle and Sky Technologies settled the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Sky in the Eastern District of Texas. Terms and financial provisions are confidential.
- AribacoreAriba was subject of patent infringement lawsuit alleging willful infringement of Sky's patents in Ariba's Spend Management software products. Case was scheduled for trial in December 2007. Sky expected accumulated damages of approximately $40 million.
- IBMcoreIBM agreed to license Sky's patents and technology for conducting online negotiation, settling the lawsuit alleging patent infringement, breach of contract, and misappropriation of trade secrets. IBM acknowledged the validity of Sky's patents. Case was before U.S. District Judge David Folsom.
- i2 TechnologiescoreSettled similar lawsuit against supply-chain software maker i2 Technologies in 2005. i2 agreed to license Sky's patents and technology.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sky Technologies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- RPX Corporation: Established defensive patent aggregation and licensing clearinghouse that reduces litigation exposure for operating companies, representing the broader market infrastructure within which Sky-style assertion firms compete.
- Intellectual Ventures: Largest private patent aggregation and licensing entity, operating across many technology domains with both defensive and offensive licensing programs; comparable in business model but vastly larger and broader than Sky's focused portfolio.
Direct peers
- Acacia Research: Public patent licensing and assertion entity that acquires and licenses patent portfolios to technology companies, monetizing IP through licensing and litigation settlements in the same way Sky does, but at much larger scale.
- Pendrell Corporation: Intellectual property monetization firm that licenses and asserts patents, including technology and telecommunications IP, against large corporate users — a structural analog to Sky's licensing model.
- Finjan Holdings: Public patent licensing and enforcement company that monetizes a cybersecurity-related patent portfolio through litigation and licensing settlements, applying the same patent assertion approach as Sky to enterprise software defendants.
- Wi-LAN (now Quarterhill): Patent licensing firm historically focused on monetizing communications and technology patents through licensing and litigation programs targeting major equipment and software vendors.
- InterDigital: Technology R&D and patent licensing company that derives material revenue from licensing wireless and video technology patents, sharing Sky's model of monetizing a focused technology patent portfolio against large implementers.
- Marathon Patent Group (now Marathon Digital): IP assertion and licensing vehicle historically built around acquiring patent portfolios and generating revenue through infringement litigation and licensing settlements with enterprise defendants.
Emerging players
- Rembrandt IP Management: Niche patent assertion and licensing firm with a comparable model of holding and enforcing technology patents against large product vendors, though smaller and less diversified than Sky's enterprise-software-focused portfolio.
- Allied Security Trust: Member-funded defensive patent acquisition entity that purchases patents to mitigate assertion risk; relevant as part of the same IP licensing ecosystem in which Sky monetizes its portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Sky Technologies social profiles
Digital presenceSky Technologies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sky Technologies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sky Technologies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sky Technologies 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 Sky Technologies
What does Sky Technologies do?
Sky Technologies LLC is an intellectual property licensing firm that owns a portfolio of eight issued United States Patents covering online negotiation processes. The company licenses these patents to enterprise software companies through direct licensing agreements, typically structured as settlements of patent infringement litigation. Licensed technologies span iterative multivariate negotiations, process mining, contract authority, electronic non-repudiation, and automated system of record capabilities used in supply chain, CRM, and contract management software.
Is Sky Technologies a public or private company?
Sky Technologies is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sky Technologies founded?
Sky Technologies was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sky Technologies based?
Sky Technologies is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sky Technologies make money?
One revenue line is on record: patent Licensing.
Who are Sky Technologies's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RPX Corporation and Intellectual Ventures. Direct peers are Acacia Research, Pendrell Corporation, Finjan Holdings, Wi-LAN (now Quarterhill), InterDigital and Marathon Patent Group (now Marathon Digital). Emerging players are Rembrandt IP Management and Allied Security Trust.
Does Sky Technologies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sky Technologies.
What industry is Sky Technologies in?
Sky Technologies'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 533 and its SIC code is 6794.