Overall rank by patents
#28,277
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 9 granted patents across 13 technology areas, active 2017–2024. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: F23G (CREMATION FURNACES; CONSUMING WASTE PRODUCTS BY COMBUSTION).
9
Total patents granted
13
CPC technology areas
16.6
Avg claims per patent
+250%
5-year filing velocity
Portfolio overview
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been granted 9 US utility patents between 2017 and 2024, placing Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at rank #28,277 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 13 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 16.6 claims per patent with primary concentration in F23G (CREMATION FURNACES; CONSUMING WASTE PRODUCTS BY COMBUSTION). As a US Corporation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the more focused assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 32.9/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.
Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 7 grants, compared with 2 in the 2015–2019 window — a +250% shift in five-year velocity. An acceleration of this magnitude signals aggressive R&D investment and expanding technical ambition. The US Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.
Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's 16.6 average claims per patent sits within the typical range for solid legal coverage without excessive prosecution cost, while concentration in 13 subclasses points to a focused technical program. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does Bill compare?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus the largest corporate holders — this company marked ◀
- Samsung
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
106,890 patents
- International Bus…
International Business Machines Corporation
72,926 patents
- Canon 34,378
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
34,378 patents
- LG 32,607
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
32,607 patents
- Taiwan Semiconduc… 31,041
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
31,041 patents
- Apple 30,560
Apple Inc.
30,560 patents
- Qualcomm Incorpor… 30,354
QUALCOMM Incorporated
30,354 patents
- Intel 27,498
Intel Corporation
27,498 patents
- Bill & Melinda Ga… ◀ 9
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
9 patents
What this shows Bill holds 9 patents — placing it at rank #28,277 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2017–2024
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2017–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 11.1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 11.1% |
| 2020 | 3 | 33.3% |
| 2021 | 2 | 22.2% |
| 2023 | 1 | 11.1% |
| 2024 | 1 | 11.1% |
Which technologies does Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation patent most?
Top 13 of 13 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Light
Tech Breadth Focused
Claim Depth Standard
Velocity Accelerating
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hold?
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation holds 9 US granted patents filed between 2017 and 2024, spanning 13 technology areas.
What is Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Innovation Score?
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has an Innovation Score of 32.9 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focus on?
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's top technology area is F23G (CREMATION FURNACES; CONSUMING WASTE PRODUCTS BY COMBUSTION) with 5 patents. The company has filed patents in 13 CPC subclasses total.
Is Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's recent filing velocity is +250% compared to the prior five-year period. This indicates accelerating innovation.
What does claim depth mean for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's patents?
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's patents average 16.6 claims each. This falls within the standard range, providing solid legal coverage.
How is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation patent data sourced?
All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.
Learn More
Explore the patent dataset
F23G technology
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ranks among the largest US patent assignees
All technology classes
Browse every CPC technology area by patent activity
How the score works
The four dimensions behind the Innovation Score
Related
Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bulk patent data. patentsview.org
- USPTO Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) — application status and file history. uspto.gov/patents/pair
- USPTO Bulk Data Storage System — comprehensive patent text + claims dataset. bulkdata.uspto.gov
- USPTO CPC Classification — Cooperative Patent Classification scheme for technology categorization. uspto.gov/cpc
- SEC EDGAR — public filings cross-reference for assignee corporate entity matching. sec.gov/edgar
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE — international patent context (related international filings). wipo.int/patentscope
