RPX Corporation
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Patent risk management |
| Founded | March 2008 |
| Founder | John A. Amster, Geoffrey T. Barker, Eran Zur |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California , United States |
Key people | Dan McCurdy (CEO) |
| Products | RPX Insight, RPX Insurance |
| Owner | HGGC |
Number of employees | 125 (2017) |
| Website | rpxcorp |
RPX Corporation (short for Rational Patent EXchange) is an American company specializing in worldwide patent risk management solutions. Established in March 2008 by John A. Amster, Geoffrey T. Barker, and Eran Zur, RPX is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm operates under a defensive patent aggregation strategy designed to minimize patent assertion threats faced by its clientele.
The company focuses on combating non-practicing entities (NPEs), often referred to as patent trolls, which primarily acquire patents to pursue licensing fees or engage in litigation. RPX purchases valuable patent rights that could trigger legal challenges for its members, acquiring these assets either from third-party sellers or directly from NPEs. Additionally, it actively intervenes in ongoing patent lawsuits by securing rights to reduce its clients’ potential liabilities. Importantly, RPX maintains a strict non-assertion policy, committing never to initiate litigation over patents it holds.
Among its offerings are RPX Insight and RPX Insurance. In 2017, the company generated $330.4 million in revenue and employed around 125 individuals. RPX is privately held by the equity firm HGGC and caters to a diverse client base seeking strategic leadership and innovative approaches to managing patent-related business risks. The global operations and expansion efforts are overseen by CEO Dan McCurdy.
Business
RPX’s services aim to lower litigation risks and expenses stemming from NPEs by acquiring patents before they are asserted or by resolving active disputes through purchase.
Membership grants clients licenses covering all patents within the RPX portfolio—those held at the time of joining, acquired subsequently, or sold during membership tenure. Annual membership fees may increase in line with portfolio valuation; early subscribers benefit from locked-in lower rates, whereas new entrants pay current pricing.
The company provides data services via a secure client portal featuring exclusive patent and litigation analytics. In May 2014, RPX introduced RPX Search, a publicly accessible search engine delivering extensive patent and litigation information to enhance market transparency.
History
RPX was founded in 2008 by John Amster, Geoffrey Barker, and Eran Zur with initial funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Charles River Ventures, and Index Ventures.
The firm’s revenue escalated from $0.8 million in its inaugural year to $32.8 million by 2009, achieving profitability. For the first three quarters of 2010, RPX reported a $10 million profit on $65.2 million revenue. By 2016, annual revenue had climbed to $333.1 million.
In January 2011, RPX filed for an initial public offering and commenced trading on Nasdaq under the ticker "RPXC" in May of that year.
December 2014 saw RPX leading a consortium that acquired approximately 4,000 Nortel patents from the Rockstar Consortium for $900 million.
In 2018, private equity firm HGGC completed the acquisition of RPXC.
In September 2024, Xockets, Inc. initiated an antitrust and patent infringement suit against RPX, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, accusing them of forming a buyers’ cartel aimed at suppressing market prices for Xockets’ DPU technology.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Companies formerly traded on Nasdaq
- US-based defensive patent aggregation firms
- Business service firms founded in 2008
- San Francisco headquartered companies
- Initial public offerings in 2011
- American enterprises founded in 2008
- California-based establishments from 2008
- Mergers and acquisitions completed in 2018
- Portfolio companies of private equity
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
- American companies established in 2008