Patenture

Guide

Patent commercialization firms, brokers, and marketplaces: a market map, 2026

Patent commercialization is split among brokers, monetization firms, strategy and valuation firms, analytics vendors, marketplaces, defensive buyers, program providers, and newer entrants, and each group does one part of the job. This map lists the firms in each group with what they do, who they serve, and how they charge, in their own published words, checked on the date shown.

All guidesLast verified

Owners of a granted patent usually meet this market one firm at a time, through a search result or a cold email, and each firm describes the whole job in terms of the part it does. A broker talks about buyers, an analytics vendor about claim charts, a marketplace about listings, a funder about enforcement. All of them can be right and the owner can still end up with the wrong kind of help.

This map puts the groups side by side so an owner, or the counsel advising one, can see which kind of firm does what before choosing one. We opened every firm's own site to write its row and link that page beside it. We do not rank the firms, we do not give an opinion of any of them, and we are not on the map ourselves. A firm that finds its row out of date can write to info@patenture.com and we will read the page again.

How to read this map

Each firm appears once, in the group that matches what its own site says it leads with, and the groups are ordered roughly from the sale of a patent to the programs that fund early commercialization. Inside a group the firms are alphabetical, and the order is not a ranking.

  • Serves: who the firm works for and what it does, paraphrased from the page we link.
  • Charges: how the firm says it is paid. Where the page gives no figure or model, the row says not published, which is common in this market and is not a criticism.
  • Minimum: a stated threshold for what the firm will take, or not published.
  • Source and date: the page we read, and the day we read it. If the page has changed since, the page wins.
  • Groups overlap. Several brokers also value patents, several analytics vendors also broker, and some funders also buy. We list each firm by what it leads with.
  • Inclusion is not an endorsement and absence is not a judgment. Some firms are missing because their sites would not open when we checked, and the method section says which kinds we left out on purpose.
  • Invention promotion firms are described as a category, through the government pages that track them, and none is named.

The groups

Nine groups, from the sale of a patent to the programs that fund commercialization.

  1. Patent brokers
  2. Monetization firms, IP merchant banks, and funders
  3. Strategy and valuation firms
  4. Analytics and evidence-of-use vendors
  5. Marketplaces and matching platforms
  6. Defensive buyers
  7. Invention promotion firms
  8. SBIR, university, and tech-transfer service providers
  9. Newer entrants

Last verified . Every row links the page we read.

Patent brokers

Brokers represent an owner in the sale of patents, and sometimes a license, to buyers already in their network. Most are paid from the proceeds of a sale, so they screen hard for assets they expect to sell. A few represent buyers instead and are paid by them.

What they do for an owner

  • Package patents for sale and market them to buyers they know.
  • Run the sale process through diligence and negotiation.
  • Tell an owner, by accepting or declining, whether the asset fits what their buyers want this year.

What they usually do not do

  • Take most single patents, or assets below their value threshold.
  • Define a product or a licensing program around the patent.
  • Promise a sale or a time to close.

13 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • Adapt IP

    adaptipventures.com

    Serves
    Patent acquisitions, sales, and licensing campaigns, which its site says can be strategic or litigation-driven; also patent valuation.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • AQUA Licensing

    aqualicensing.com

    Serves
    Companies, innovators, and investors in the secondary patent market, through patent acquisitions and monetization.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Dynamic IP Deals

    dynaipdeals.com

    Serves
    Intellectual property monetization; the home page gives no further detail.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • ICAP Patent Brokerage

    icappatentbrokerage.com

    Serves
    Patent owners selling to strategic buyers, from individual foundational inventions to large multi-asset portfolios.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    icapip.com now opens icappatentbrokerage.com.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • IP Investments Group

    ipinvestmentsgroup.com

    Serves
    Patent brokering for acquisition, and licensing programs, including enforcement licensing, that it develops and manages for clients.
    Charges, as published
    A contingency fee on brokering and licensing, as its home page states.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • IPOfferings

    ipofferings.com

    Serves
    Businesses, inventors, universities, and other owners selling or licensing patents; also patent valuation and IP consulting.
    Charges, as published
    Most sellers on a contingency basis, paid from the revenue it generates; buyers pay a campaign fee plus a fee based on results.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • P. J. Parker & Co.

    pjparker.com

    Serves
    A Tokyo-based broker selling, buying, and licensing patents for clients worldwide, with cross-border transactions in Asia a focus.
    Charges, as published
    A fee based on the completed transaction amount, charged only after a sale, license, or purchase is completed, with the broker bearing its own expenses, as its home page states.
    Minimum, as published
    No value stated. Its home page says it focuses on portfolios of 10 to 200 patent families in high-tech fields, and sells and licenses large and small portfolios in chemicals and materials science.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Quinn Pacific

    quinnpacific.com

    Serves
    Patent brokerage and IP sales for large technology companies, since 1990.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Red Chalk Group

    redchalk.com

    Serves
    A consulting firm whose work includes business-related IP matters, among them patent brokerage.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Tangible IP

    tangibleip.biz

    Serves
    Large companies, SMEs, investors, and inventors selling or acquiring patents; also IP strategy. Its site says it is neither a law firm nor a patent assertion entity.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • TransactionsIP

    transactionsip.com

    Serves
    Individuals, small companies, and large enterprises buying or selling patents; also valuation, patent analytics, and IP strategy.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Tynax

    tynax.com

    Serves
    Sources patents for patent monetization firms, representing buyers rather than sellers, since 2003.
    Charges, as published
    Paid by its buying clients; its site says sellers owe no brokering fees.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Vitek IP

    vitek-ip.com

    Serves
    Patent brokerage, analysis, licensing, and prosecution for technology companies; publishes patent market reports by technology area.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

Monetization firms, IP merchant banks, and funders

These firms buy patents, take them on under an agency or transfer arrangement, or finance licensing and litigation campaigns. They tend to want large portfolios with evidence of use, and many campaigns run through assertion.

What they do for an owner

  • Buy a portfolio outright or structure a transaction with their own capital.
  • Run a licensing program on the owner's behalf in exchange for a share of the proceeds.
  • Finance enforcement so the owner does not carry the cost.

What they usually do not do

  • Usually take a single patent or a small family.
  • Work without some claim on title or proceeds.

6 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • Burford Capital

    burfordcapital.com

    Serves
    Litigation finance, including financing for patent cases and IP monetization strategies for companies and the law firms that represent them.
    Charges, as published
    Financing; its patent page describes capital at no upfront cost and non-recourse financing for portfolios of IP matters.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Dominion Harbor

    dominionharbor.com

    Serves
    Patent monetization, enforcement, and strategy for clients from large corporations to startups, with its own patent analytics platform.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Hilco Global

    hilcoglobal.com

    Serves
    Intellectual property valuation, disposition, brokerage through IP auctions, direct investment, and licensing.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    hilcostreambank.com now opens this Hilco Global page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • ICEBERG

    iceberg.co

    Serves
    An innovation capital group headquartered in London that structures transactions and funding around proprietary technologies.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    icebergip.com now opens iceberg.co.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • IPValue

    ipvalue.com

    Serves
    Enterprise patent portfolio commercialization: strategic IP management, brokerage, a patent purchase fund, and strategic licensing.
    Charges, as published
    Not published. Licensing runs under an agency model, where the owner keeps ownership and control, or a patent transfer model, where patents move into an independent licensing company.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • SIM IP

    simip.io

    Serves
    Deploys its own capital to acquire, structure, and monetize intellectual property, creating liquidity for IP owners.
    Charges, as published
    Acquisitions and structured transactions with its own capital; terms not published.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

Strategy and valuation firms

These firms value intellectual property, advise on licensing and transaction strategy, and support litigation as experts. Their clients are mostly larger companies, investors, and parties to disputes.

What they do for an owner

  • Produce a valuation an investor, a court, or a board will accept.
  • Shape licensing and transaction strategy for a portfolio.
  • Provide expert support in a dispute.

What they usually do not do

  • Usually go to market for the owner and find the licensee.
  • Price their work for a single patent owner without a dispute or a deal already in view.

4 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • Aon, Intellectual Property Solutions

    aon.com

    Serves
    IP valuation and risk assessment, to help organizations align IP strategy with their business.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    Listed on DOE's SBIR Commercialization Services page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Consor

    consorip.com

    Serves
    IP valuation, licensing strategy, litigation support and expert witness services, and transaction assistance.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    consor.com now opens consorip.com.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Ocean Tomo

    oceantomo.com

    Serves
    Part of J.S. Held: expert opinion, management consulting, patent analysis and reverse engineering, valuation, and IP brokerage.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Sherpa Technology Group

    sherpatechnologygroup.com

    Serves
    Strategy and M&A for technology and IP.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

Analytics and evidence-of-use vendors

These vendors produce the documents a patent deal or dispute depends on: claim charts, evidence of use, prior art searches, landscapes, and source code review. They work by project or by subscription and hand over the work product.

What they do for an owner

  • Show which products in the market appear to practice the claims.
  • Search prior art and map a technology landscape.
  • Build claim charts for counsel to review.

What they usually do not do

  • Take the patent to a buyer or run the deal.
  • Decide which market or licensee to pursue.

10 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • Copperpod

    copperpodip.com

    Serves
    Evidence of use, source code review, document review, and prior art search for litigation and licensing negotiations.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Evalueserve

    evalueserve.com

    Serves
    A research and analytics firm with an IP and innovation intelligence practice.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • GreyB

    greyb.com

    Serves
    Patent search, landscape analysis, infringement search, acquisition studies, and patent monetization services, alongside broader innovation consulting.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • IIPRD

    iiprd.com

    Serves
    Patent search, prosecution support, patent landscape reports, and IP valuation reports.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Lumenci

    lumenci.com

    Serves
    Patent monetization, IP litigation support, and technology consulting for litigation, licensing, and innovation teams.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Patlytics

    patlytics.ai

    Serves
    Patent analysis software: evidence-of-use search, claim charts, invalidity, freedom to operate, portfolio analysis, and drafting.
    Charges, as published
    Not published; demonstrations on request.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Sagacious IP

    sagaciousresearch.com

    Serves
    IP research services for companies, law firms, and patent owners, including help to manage, maintain, and monetize patents.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • TechInsights

    techinsights.com

    Serves
    A semiconductor analysis platform built on chip teardowns, with intellectual property services.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • TT Consultants

    ttconsultants.com

    Serves
    IP search, portfolio management and commercialization, technology intelligence, and market research.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • XLSCOUT

    xlscout.ai

    Serves
    Software its site describes as an integrated innovation and patent monetization platform.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

Marketplaces and matching platforms

These platforms list patents and technologies, scout for corporate buyers, or match research institutions with industry partners. The owner or the institution does the selling.

What they do for an owner

  • Put a listing in front of buyers and licensees who search the platform.
  • Match technologies with partners by field.

What they usually do not do

  • Approach a specific buyer on the owner's behalf.
  • Package the patent or negotiate the deal.

6 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • FirstIgnite

    firstignite.com

    Serves
    Partnership prospecting, outreach, and data management software for universities and research institutions.
    Charges, as published
    Not published; demonstrations on request.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • IAM Market

    iam-media.com/market

    Serves
    An online listing platform where IP owners list patents and technology for sale or license.
    Charges, as published
    Free for buyers and licensees; terms for listing owners not published.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    iam-market.com now opens iam-media.com/market.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Innoget

    innoget.com

    Serves
    An open innovation network connecting technologies, startups, experts, and business opportunities.
    Charges, as published
    Free to start; fees for patent licensing not published.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Inpart

    inpart.io

    Serves
    A platform for R&D partnerships: asset and partner sourcing, opportunities, and alliance and portfolio management.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    in-part.com now opens inpart.io.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Wellspring Scout

    search.wellspringsoftware.net

    Serves
    An innovation search platform covering patent office records, publications, research grants, startups, and licensable technologies.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    flintbox.com now opens Wellspring Scout.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • yet2

    yet2.com

    Serves
    Open innovation consulting and technology scouting for companies seeking outside technology.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

Defensive buyers

Defensive buyers acquire or license patents to clear risk for the companies that fund them. They are real exits for an owner, with published processes, and they act for their members rather than the seller.

What they do for an owner

  • Buy or license patents at a price, on a published schedule.
  • Close without litigation.

What they usually do not do

  • Represent the seller or argue for a higher price.
  • Say which member wanted the patent.

2 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • Allied Security Trust (AST), IP3

    ast.com

    Serves
    A collaborative buyer for its member companies. Its yearly Industry Patent Purchase and Licensing Program (IP3) buys or group-licenses patents at fixed prices the owner sets, and accepts submissions from owners, universities, brokers, and law firms.
    Charges, as published
    No fee to submit, and AST keeps no share of the price; the owner sets a fixed sale price, a fixed group license price, or both.
    Minimum, as published
    Each family needs at least one active granted patent in the US, China, Europe, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, or Korea.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • RPX

    rpxcorp.com

    Serves
    Patent risk management for companies that develop, use, or sell technology, through membership and patent transactions.
    Charges, as published
    Membership for companies; terms not published.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

Invention promotion firms

Invention promotion firms sell services to inventors, such as evaluations, submissions to companies, and marketing packages, and are paid by the inventor rather than by a buyer. We name none of them. The category's history is public, and the government pages below are where to check any firm yourself.

What they do for an owner

  • Sell evaluation, submission, and marketing services for a fee paid up front.

What they usually do not do

  • Get paid only when a buyer or licensee pays the inventor.

Sourced facts

The USPTO tells inventors to search the FTC website for the word invention to see whether a company has been investigated or fined, to check a promoter's reputation before any commitment, and to be wary of any firm that promises too much or costs too much.

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Scam Prevention: invention promoters or promotion firms. Checked .

Before a contract, an invention promoter must disclose in writing how many inventions it evaluated in the past 5 years and how many got positive and negative evaluations, how many customers it had, how many made a net profit or received a license as a direct result of its services, and every promotion company its officers were affiliated with in the previous 10 years.

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Scam Prevention: required information disclosure. Checked .

Under the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999, the USPTO publishes complaints against invention promoters and the promoters' responses in a public forum. It does not investigate the complaints.

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Scam Prevention. Checked .

The FTC's consumer guidance says only a few inventions ever make it to the marketplace, and to steer clear of any company that promises your idea will be patented or that you will make money.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, Some invention-promotion firms do nothing for you (consumer alert, March 2017). Checked .

In 1997, under Project Mousetrap, a federal and state campaign against fraudulent invention-promotion firms, a federal court ordered one New Jersey firm to disclose that none of its nearly 1,000 clients had made more money from their inventions than they had paid the firm. The FTC suggested avoiding firms that are enthusiastic about an idea but insist on substantial up-front fees.

Source: Federal Trade Commission, New Jersey Invention Promotion Firm Subject To Preliminary Order Obtained by FTC Following Fraud Charges (press release, September 1997). Checked .

SBIR, university, and tech-transfer service providers

These providers help small businesses and research institutions with federal funding, technical and business assistance, technology transfer, and early commercialization. Many are generalists across fields, and agency program funds can pay for some of their work.

What they do for an owner

  • Help with proposals, commercialization plans, and agency programs.
  • Deliver technical and business assistance that an award budget can fund.
  • Support a technology transfer office's licensing work.

What they usually do not do

  • Usually specialize in one vertical's buyers.
  • Run a licensing negotiation through to a term sheet.

Sourced facts

DOE funds discretionary TABA for all DOE SBIR and STTR Phase I and Phase II awardees: up to USD 6,500 in the Phase I budget and up to USD 50,000 in the Phase II budget, for services performed during the project's period of performance.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Technical and Business Assistance. Checked .

DOE publishes a list of commercialization service providers as a place to start, says it is not exhaustive, and states that DOE does not endorse or evaluate the providers on it.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, SBIR Commercialization Services. Checked .

7 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • BBC Entrepreneurial Training and Consulting

    bbcetc.com

    Serves
    SBIR and STTR support from proposal to post-award, including technical and business assistance (TABA).
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    Listed on DOE's SBIR Commercialization Services page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Dawnbreaker

    dawnbreaker.com

    Serves
    Commercialization services for small advanced technology firms and federal agencies, including TABA for SBIR and STTR awardees.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    Listed on DOE's SBIR Commercialization Services page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • FedTech

    fedtech.io

    Serves
    Deep tech commercialization and SBIR and STTR programs for founders, startups, corporations, and government. Its site calls it the preferred TABA provider for Army Phase I and II awardees.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Foresight Science & Technology

    foresightst.com

    Serves
    Commercialization, technology transfer, and due diligence support for innovations.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    Listed on DOE's SBIR Commercialization Services page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Fuentek

    techpipeline.com

    Serves
    Technology transfer services for the tech transfer community.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    fuentek.com now opens techpipeline.com, which says Fuentek is part of TechPipeline. Listed on DOE's SBIR Commercialization Services page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Larta Institute

    larta.org

    Serves
    Programs, funding, and support for science and technology innovators, since 1993.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    Listed on DOE's SBIR Commercialization Services page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • VentureWell

    venturewell.org

    Serves
    Programs for students, startups, faculty, and institutions, including technology commercialization.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published
    Note
    Listed on DOE's SBIR Commercialization Services page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

Newer entrants

Newer firms sell software for valuation, listing, and claim charts, or practice patent law with their own software built into the work. Several aim at owners that brokers turn away.

What they do for an owner

  • Give an owner a valuation, a listing, or a claim chart quickly and at a published price where they publish one.

What they usually do not do

  • Get the patent in front of a specific buyer's decision maker.
  • Replace patent counsel's judgment on claims.

3 firms, alphabetical. The order is not a ranking.

  • Ipiry

    ipiry.com

    Serves
    A patent listing, valuation, and brokerage platform for inventors and startups, which accepts patents at any valuation.
    Charges, as published
    Free to list; 4 to 7.5 percent of the sale price on completed sales, tiered.
    Minimum, as published
    No minimum patent value, per its brokerage page.

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • Landfall IP

    landfallip.com

    Serves
    A patent law firm that builds its own software into patent work, with an invention discovery report on request.
    Charges, as published
    Not published
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

  • PatentWatch

    patentwatch.ai

    Serves
    Software for claim charting, standard-essential patent mapping, prior art and validity, and portfolio analytics.
    Charges, as published
    Not published; demonstrations on request.
    Minimum, as published
    Not published

    Source: the firm's page. Checked .

How we built the map

We started from the firms that appear in the category's published broker lists, market reports, and agency provider lists, then opened each firm's own site and wrote down only what that site says. Rows we could not confirm on the firm's own site are not on the map.

Every row links the exact page we read. Where a domain now redirects somewhere else, or a firm says it has become part of another company, the row notes it. Where a site describes a different business from the one a list gave it, we followed the site: a firm that now describes itself as a law firm, an acquirer of operating businesses, or an internal management tool is left off, because the map is for owners looking for commercialization help.

We left out firms that do not offer a service to owners, such as aggregators selling their own holdings, and firms whose sites would not open in our browser on the day we checked. We also left out large accounting and consulting networks whose intellectual property pages we could not find. None of that is a statement about the work those firms do.

We check every row again each quarter. The Last verified date on this page changes only when we have opened the rows again, not when we touch the page for any other reason.

Which group fits which situation?

Start from what you need next, not from the firm that found you first. A sale to the best bidder is broker work, a dispute or a large portfolio is monetization and funder work, a number for an investor or a court is valuation work, and proof that products use the claims is analytics work.

Most owners need more than one group over the life of a patent. The mistake is to ask one group for another group's work, such as asking a broker to find the market for a single patent, or asking an analytics vendor to run the negotiation.

  • You want to sell a family of patents with evidence of use and do not know the buyer: brokers and defensive buyers.
  • You hold a large portfolio and are prepared for enforcement, or want someone else to carry its cost: monetization firms and funders.
  • You need a value an investor, a board, or a court will accept: strategy and valuation firms.
  • You need claim charts, evidence of use, or a prior art search, usually under counsel's direction: analytics and evidence-of-use vendors.
  • You want a listing that buyers and partners can find, or you run a technology transfer office: marketplaces and matching platforms.
  • You hold an SBIR or STTR award and need help funded by the award: program providers.
  • You want a fast valuation, a self-serve listing, or a claim chart tool: newer entrants.

Questions to ask any firm on this map before you sign

Ask what the firm will deliver, by when, how it is paid, and what happens if nothing sells or signs. The answers matter more than the firm's group, and the good firms answer them in writing without being pressed.

  • What exactly do I receive, and on what date?
  • How are you paid, on what base, and what is billed separately?
  • Is the engagement exclusive, for how long, and how do I end it?
  • If I find the buyer or licensee myself, do you still get paid, and for how long after the engagement ends?
  • Who are your typical buyers or licensees for an asset like mine, as a category?
  • Do you take title, a share of proceeds, or neither?
  • Will any part of the plan involve asserting the patent, and who decides?
  • How will you handle my confidential documents, and will my patent counsel review the terms first?

What this map does not tell you

It does not say which firm is good at its job, which one fits your patent, or what any firm would charge you. Those answers come from the firm's own terms, its references, and your counsel's review of the agreement.

Published charges in this market are thin. Most firms quote per engagement, and the figures that do circulate come from a few third-party guides and market reports. Our guide on broker fees and minimums collects those figures with their sources, so a reader can see what each one measures and how old it is.

The map also does not cover patent law firms, which prosecute and litigate patents and sometimes refer owners to the groups above. Counsel stays in every one of these relationships: whichever group you choose, a lawyer should read the agreement before you sign it.

Questions for your patent counsel

  1. Does this engagement letter give the firm an exclusive right, and what does it cost me to end it early?
  2. Does any clause assign title, grant a license, or give the firm a share of future proceeds?
  3. Does the agreement allow the firm to assert the patent, or to pass it to someone who will?
  4. What should a non-confidential summary of the claims say, and what should wait for an NDA?

Questions we hear

Is this a ranking of patent brokers?

No. Firms are grouped by what they do and listed alphabetically inside each group. We give no opinion of any firm, and the order says nothing about quality.

Why are invention promotion firms not named?

Because a list of them reads as either an endorsement or an accusation, and we want neither. The USPTO and the FTC publish the category's complaints and enforcement actions, and the invention promotion section links to those pages so you can check any firm yourself.

How current is the map?

Every row shows the date we read the firm's page. We read every row again each quarter and update the Last verified date only after we have.

Why are you not on the map?

Because a firm that lists itself among the firms it describes is no longer describing the market. Where we fit is in its own section, outside every list.

Where Patenture fits

Patenture is not on this map, by design. We are a patent commercialization firm for security, identity, and trust technology, and we work for the owner in four situations: no pitch yet, no market answer yet, a product already in market whose claims reach further, and an owner who already knows who needs the patent.

Patenture takes the owners brokers pass on, and when a sale mandate needs a broker's buyer network, we refer it to a broker.

For an owner who already knows the buyer, the work starts with the Mandate Review: about a week, ending in a thesis test, a deal shape, the diligence gaps, and a written yes or no on whether we take the mandate.

Request a Mandate ReviewBook a 20-minute call

By Mike Dayton. Published . Updated .

Every engagement starts with a mutual NDA and a written data-handling annex your counsel can review before intake. How confidentiality works.

Patenture is not a law firm. The claim explainer and the counsel question list are commercial analysis; claim construction, validity, and prosecution strategy stay with your patent counsel, whose access is a condition of the engagement.

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