AST Announces Record IP3 2026 Results: 70 Deals and $5.6M Invested in Collaborative Patent Defense

Eleventh annual program drew 27 voting members and 1,384 lots, with group licensing and member collaboration driving the record results

PRINCETON, NJ, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Allied Security Trust (AST) today announced the conclusion of voting in its eleventh annual Industry Patent Purchase & Licensing Program (IP3). At the September 30 voting session, 27 AST member companies reviewed 1,384 accepted lots, covering 1,493 patent families, 1,778 active U.S. patents and 3,078 worldwide assets, and selected 70 lots for acquisition or group license. Members invested $5.625 million across 89 patent families, 137 U.S. patents and 186 active assets, with 41 lots acquired and 29 licensed through group sublicenses. Transactions are expected to close by the end of 2026.

IP3 2026 is the most successful program in IP3’s 11-year history, with more deals selected and more capital invested than in any prior year. Investment of $5.625 million is up 9% from the $5.139 million invested in IP3 2025 and 34% above the $4.2 million in IP3 2024. The 70 deals compare with 47 in 2025, an increase of 49%, and 51 in 2024. Group sublicenses accounted for 41% of 2026 deals, up from 30% in 2025.

IP3 connects patent owners with a consortium of leading technology companies through a fixed-price purchase or group licensing model. In 2026, AST's intake team processed more than 1,500 submissions from over 220 sellers and 30 brokers.
• Pricing: Deal prices ranged from $8,000 to $350,000, with an average of $80,357 per lot and $63,202 per patent family.
• Participation: 27 member companies participated, including Cisco, Google, IBM, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, Snap, Sony, Spotify, Uber and Verizon.

Collaboration drove the outcomes

Members worked together throughout the program. Lots that attracted interest from several members were far more likely to be selected than those of interest to a single member. On average, 3.6 members shared the cost of each deal.

Where members invested

Wireless, Telecom & Networking was the most active zone with 19 deals, followed by Content Distribution & Advertising (10), and Cloud Computing, Hardware & Software, and Semiconductor, Lighting & Optoelectronics (9 each). Several of this year's most closely watched areas stood out:
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Submissions in the zone that includes AI/ML grew 33% to 200 lots, and members selected five AI/ML lots.
• Semiconductors: The largest zone in the program at 371 lots (27% of submissions) produced nine deals.
• Streaming and content: Content distribution, streaming and media-processing lots drew some of the broadest co-funding, with 10 deals averaging 3.8 participating members each.

Universities accounted for 36 of the 70 selected lots (51%), and universities and research institutions together submitted 69% of all lots.

"IP3 2026 shows the collaborative model working at scale. Our members selected 70 deals, nearly 50% more than last year, and group licensing gave patent owners and members a flexible path to a fair price. Patent owners get a clear, efficient route to market, and members get proactive protection at a shared cost. I congratulate our members and the AST team on a record year," said Russell W. Binns Jr., CEO of AST.

"IP3 2026 showed what happens when members have good information and a clear process. They reviewed 1,384 lots, converged on 242 that mattered most to them, and then pooled capital to fund 70 deals. The more members who saw value in a lot, the more likely it was to get done, and that is the point of a collaborative model," said Mihir Patel, Executive Vice President, Licensing & Analytics at AST.

In line with AST's catch-and-release model, all acquired portfolios will be made available for resale or licensing and can be viewed by prospective members, potential buyers or their representatives at www.ast.com/acquired-portfolios.

IP3 is one part of AST's year-round activity. AST remains one of the most active buyers in the patent industry, acquiring patent rights and securing sublicenses on behalf of its members through its Standard Program. Patent owners, universities and brokers do not need to wait for the next IP3 cycle: submit your lots to AST whenever you are ready to sell or license at www.ast.com/sell-to-ast.

ABOUT ALLIED SECURITY TRUST (AST)

AST, a member-driven cooperative established in 2007, reduces patent risk for the world's leading technology companies through cost-shared patent acquisitions and licenses. Its membership includes more than 30 multinational companies across diverse industries. AST is a not-for-profit Delaware statutory trust. For more information, visit www.ast.com.

Russ Binns
Allied Security Trust (AST)
binns@ast.com
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