Overall rank by patents
#450
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation
Nicira, Inc.
USPTO PatentsView assignee record - 1,011 granted patents across 13 technology areas, active 2015–2025. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION).
1,011
Total patents granted
13
CPC technology areas
19.8
Avg claims per patent
+4%
5-year filing velocity
The verdict
Nicira holds 1,011 US patents across 13 technology areas, rank #450 of 50,000 tracked assignees.
- #450
- of 50,000 US assignees by volume
- Top 12%
- by Innovation Score (51.2/100)
- 19.8
- avg claims per patent
- +4%
- filing velocity, last 5 yrs
Portfolio overview
Nicira, Inc. has been granted 1,011 US utility patents between 2015 and 2025, placing Nicira, Inc. at rank #450 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 13 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 19.8 claims per patent with primary concentration in H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION). As a US Corporation, Nicira, Inc. is one of the more focused assignees in the PatentsView dataset. By volume, Nicira sits between KOBE Steel Ltd. (1,023 patents, rank #446) and Nidec Corporation (999 patents, rank #454) - the closest US assignees by grant volume. The composite Innovation Score of 51.2/100 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 515 grants, compared with 496 in the 2015–2019 window, a +4% shift in five-year velocity. Steady filing volume suggests sustained innovation without dramatic pivots. 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. Nicira, Inc.'s 19.8 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 Nicira, Inc. against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
Who files at Nicira's volume?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus its nearest-ranked assignees by volume, this company marked ◀
- KOBE Steel
KOBE STEEL LTD.
1,023 patents
- Commvault Systems
Commvault Systems, Inc.
1,020 patents
- Mayo Foundation f…
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
1,020 patents
- Allstate Insurance
Allstate Insurance Company
1,012 patents
- Nicira ◀
Nicira, Inc.
1,011 patents
- Toyoda Gosei
TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
1,008 patents
- National Technolo…
National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
1,004 patents
- The Board of Trus…
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
1,004 patents
- Nidec
NIDEC CORPORATION
999 patents
What this shows Nicira holds 1,011 patents at rank #450, shown against the 8 assignees closest to it in grant volume rather than the industry's largest filers.
Companies ranked near Nicira
By rank, the assignees closest to #450 in granted patent volume.
- KOBE Steel Ltd. #446 · 1,023 patents
- Commvault Systems, Inc. #447 · 1,020 patents
- Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research #448 · 1,020 patents
- Allstate Insurance Company #449 · 1,012 patents
- Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. #451 · 1,008 patents
- National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia, Llc #452 · 1,004 patents
- The Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Illinois #453 · 1,004 patents
- Nidec Corporation #454 · 999 patents
Leaders in H04L (Transmission OF Digital Information)
Other assignees with the most granted patents in Nicira's primary technology class.
- International Business Machines Corporation 15,969 in class
- Qualcomm Incorporated 13,594 in class
- Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 11,697 in class
- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 10,543 in class
- LG Electronics Inc. 9,062 in class
- Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) 8,543 in class
- Cisco Technology, Inc. 7,502 in class
- Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc 7,301 in class
Nicira's Innovation Score vs. every tracked assignee
Composite of portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth (0–100)
51 Top 12% higher than 88% of 50,000 US assignees
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US assignees. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source USPTO PatentsView, PlainPatent Innovation Score · 2015–2025
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 37 | 3.7% |
| 2016 | 60 | 5.9% |
| 2017 | 81 | 8.0% |
| 2018 | 136 | 13.5% |
| 2019 | 182 | 18.0% |
| 2020 | 189 | 18.7% |
| 2021 | 125 | 12.4% |
| 2022 | 82 | 8.1% |
| 2023 | 77 | 7.6% |
| 2024 | 36 | 3.6% |
| 2025 | 6 | 0.6% |
Which technologies does Nicira, Inc. patent most?
Top 13 of 13 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Strong
Tech Breadth Focused
Claim Depth Standard
Velocity Growing
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does Nicira, Inc. hold?
Nicira, Inc. holds 1,011 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2025, spanning 13 technology areas.
What is Nicira, Inc.'s Innovation Score?
Nicira, Inc. has an Innovation Score of 51.2 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does Nicira, Inc. focus on?
Nicira, Inc.'s top technology area is H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION) with 981 patents. The company has filed patents in 13 CPC subclasses total.
Is Nicira, Inc.'s patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
Nicira, Inc.'s recent filing velocity is +4% compared to the prior five-year period. The company is maintaining or growing its patent output.
What does claim depth mean for Nicira, Inc.'s patents?
Nicira, Inc.'s patents average 19.8 claims each. This falls within the standard range, providing solid legal coverage.
How is the Nicira, Inc. 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.
How to use this portfolio
Nicira's 1,011 grants land it in the top 12% by Innovation Score, but volume alone doesn't tell you where the strength sits.
- Read that count against the largest US assignees before treating it as dominance - Nicira ranks #450 of 50,000. Top 50 holders
- Most of this portfolio concentrates in H04L - see who else leads that technology area. H04L leaders
- Check what the four-part Innovation Score actually rewards before comparing it to another company. How the score works
Patent counts and the Innovation Score measure patenting activity, not commercial success or the legal strength of any patent. Many patents are filed defensively. Verify the status of an individual patent against official USPTO records.
Every figure on PlainPatent is rendered directly from USPTO source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USPTO source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.