Confidential Computing Patent Landscape 2026
Confidential Computing Patent Landscape in 2026
Confidential computing patent activity is highly concentrated, with Intel alone commanding a commanding lead over all challengers and the top five filers holding 43% of the hundred largest filers’ combined records. The field reached its peak in 2019 and annual volume has eased since, though the multi-year corpus of 15,439 patent families reflects a substantive, mature body of innovation.
Intel leads a concentrated field with a clear tier gap below the top five
Intel Corporation is the undisputed leader in confidential computing, ranked first with 4,061 patent records — nearly three times the count of second-ranked Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC at 1,456. Huawei Technologies follows at 1,263, with Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology and Advanced New Technologies completing the top five.
The top five filers together hold 43% of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent records, signaling strong concentration at the apex. A pronounced tier gap separates Intel from all others; the next four are clustered between roughly 700 and 1,500 records, and the remaining ranked applicants fall well below that band.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intel Corporation | 4,061 | |
| 2 | Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC | 1,456 | |
| 3 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 1,263 | |
| 4 | Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. | 993 | |
| 5 | Advanced New Technologies Co., Ltd. | 736 | |
| 6 | Apple Inc. | 618 | |
| 7 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 609 | |
| 8 | International Business Machines Corporation | 458 | |
| 9 | Ant Blockchain Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. | 395 | |
| 10 | Qualcomm Inc. | 366 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Visa International Service Association | 353 | |
| 12 | McAfee LLC | 337 | |
| 13 | Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson) | 320 | |
| 14 | Thales DIS France SA | 320 | |
| 15 | Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. | 299 | |
| 16 | NEC Corporation | 272 | |
| 17 | Dell Products LP | 266 | |
| 18 | Google LLC | 263 | |
| 19 | Arm Ltd. | 251 | |
| 20 | AntChain Technology Pte. Ltd. | 233 |
Intel’s position — built on hardware-rooted trusted execution environment (TEE) technology spanning G06F and H04L classes — gives it both breadth and depth that challengers would need years of sustained investment to replicate. Microsoft and Huawei occupy credible second-tier positions but operate at a structural disadvantage in volume.
Figures for 2024–2026 are subject to publication lag and will rise as applications are processed; observed counts for those years should not be taken as reflecting the true filing rate. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Peak-and-ease filing curve with hardware security dominant across the technology mix
Two charts capture the temporal trajectory and subject-matter composition of the confidential computing corpus. Together they reveal a field that grew rapidly through 2019 and has been consolidating since, concentrated in digital data processing and cryptographic transmission.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings grew sharply from 1,284 records in 2017 to a peak of 2,274 in 2019, then stepped down through 2020–2022 before declining more steeply in 2023 and 2024. The 2024 and 2025 bars are artificially low due to publication lag and do not represent a structural exit from the field. The multi-year window still shows substantial accumulated volume, consistent with a maturing but active domain.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G06F (electric digital data processing) and H04L (digital information transmission) dominate the technology mix by a wide margin, reflecting the core hardware-software security stack of TEEs, cryptographic protocols, and secure enclaves. H04W (wireless communication networks) and G06Q (business and commerce data processing) are the next largest branches, each at roughly 6% of records, pointing to application-layer extensions into mobile and fintech. G06N (AI models) is present but comparatively sparse at 2%, suggesting that AI-native confidential computing is still an early-stage adjacency.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
System, apparatus and method for controlling multi…
In an embodiment, a system is adapted to: record at least one measurement of a virtual trusted execution environment in a storage of the system and generate a secret sealed to a state of this measurement; create, using the virtual trusted execution environment, an isolated environment including a secure enclave and an application, the virtual trusted… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method and apparatus for assessing integrity of co… | 885 |
| 2 | Systems and Methods for Decentralizing Commerce an… | 827 |
| 3 | Access control subsystem and method for distribute… | 731 |
| 4 | Detecting Emergent Behavior in Communications Netw… | 681 |
| 5 | Method and apparatus for providing computer services | 663 |
| 6 | Secure and reliable bootstrap architecture | 638 |
| 7 | System and method for forming, storing, managing,… | 624 |
| 8 | Distributed security auditing subsystem for an ope… | 601 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural dimensions — maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography — define the strategic landscape for any entrant or incumbent considering R&D allocation in confidential computing.
Post-peak consolidation phase
The lifecycle evidence classifies this field as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2019 peak. The field is still producing substantial annual volume, and the 15,439-family corpus is deep, but the rate of net new invention is contracting. R&D strategy should weight portfolio defense and selective application-layer expansion over broad platform claims.
Lifecycle: DeclineIntel’s lead creates a structurally asymmetric landscape
The top five filers hold 43% of the hundred largest filers’ combined records, with Intel alone accounting for a plurality. The tier below — Microsoft, Huawei, Alipay, Advanced New Technologies — is real competition but faces a volume gap. New entrants or mid-tier players are most likely to find footholds in adjacent application areas (fintech, AI, wireless) rather than the core hardware TEE stack where Intel’s position is entrenched.
High concentrationIBM and Alibaba ecosystem affiliates are the most active co-filers
The most frequent co-filing pairs involve International Business Machines Corporation filing jointly with IBM Deutschland GmbH (21 joint records), IBM United Kingdom Ltd (17), and IBM (China) Co. Ltd (15), reflecting a coordinated internal portfolio strategy across IBM’s global subsidiaries. On the Chinese side, Advanced New Technologies and Alibaba Group Holding have co-filed 22 records, and Alipay (Hangzhou) and Ant Blockchain Technology (Shanghai) have co-filed 6. Samsung Electronics has co-filed with Korea University and with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (3 records each), indicating academic-industry linkage in Korea.
Ecosystem co-filingUS-centric filing with limited Asian domestic coverage
The United States is the dominant filing jurisdiction, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). Singapore, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom form a secondary tier. Notably, China shows very limited direct filings (70 records) despite several top-ranked applicants being Chinese entities, suggesting those applicants pursue protection primarily through US and PCT routes rather than domestic filing. Japan and South Korea are also sparsely covered, a potential gap for regional competitors.
US-led, PCT-routedGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced New Technologies Co., Ltd. | Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. | 22 |
| International Business Machines Corporation | IBM DEUTSCHLAND GMBH | 21 |
| International Business Machines Corporation | IBM UNITED KINGDOM LTD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPAR… | 17 |
| International Business Machines Corporation | IBM (China) Co., Ltd. | 15 |
| Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. | Ant Blockchain Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. | 6 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Korea University | 3 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | 3 |
| Apple Inc. | Mobiveil Inc. | 2 |
| International Business Machines Corporation | IBM ISRAEL SCI & TECH LTD | 2 |
| Intel Corporation | Wu Na | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Intel leads on hardware-rooted security; Microsoft and Huawei compete on cryptographic protocol breadth
The top two applicants share the same primary technology focus — G06F digital data processing and H04L cryptographic transmission — but differ in scale and recent trajectory. Both show declining recent momentum consistent with the field’s post-peak lifecycle.
Intel Corporation
Intel leads the confidential computing landscape with 4,061 patent records, centered on G06F 21 (security-related digital data processing, 2,003 records), H04L 9 (cryptographic protocols, 1,362 records), and G06F 9 (processor execution environments, 828 records) — a portfolio that maps directly to its SGX trusted execution environment platform. Recent filing momentum is down 35% versus the prior three-year period, consistent with a maturing hardware platform and the broader field-level deceleration.
families: 4,061Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC holds 1,456 patent records, focused on G06F 21 (752 records), H04L 9 (449 records), and H04L 29 (239 records), reflecting a software-layer and cloud-security orientation that complements Intel’s hardware stack. Recent momentum is down 26% versus the prior period, a shallower decline than Intel’s, suggesting Microsoft is sustaining confidential computing investment at a relatively more stable rate as it extends the technology into cloud services.
families: 1,456| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation | 508 | ▼ -35% |
| Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC | 172 | ▼ -26% |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 180 | ▼ -32% |
| Apple Inc. | 126 | ▼ -34% |
| Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. | 135 | ▼ -59% |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 122 | ▼ -10% |
| International Business Machines Corporation | 118 | ▼ -8% |
| Advanced New Technologies Co., Ltd. | 2 | ▼ -99% |
Wireless security and AI-native confidential computing are under-served relative to core volume
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant G06F/H04L core show comparatively sparse coverage relative to their technical relevance to confidential computing. These are observations of relative sparsity; plausible entry paths are noted where applicable.
G06N · AI-native confidential computing
G06N (computing based on AI models) accounts for only 2% of records in this corpus — 749 records — despite the growing industrial need to run inference and training workloads inside secure enclaves without exposing model weights or training data. The intersection of trusted execution environments with federated learning and privacy-preserving AI is technically coherent and commercially demanded, yet coverage is sparse. Teams with existing TEE or cryptographic attestation expertise could plausibly extend into this branch with targeted filing.
Search this in Eureka →H04W · Wireless confidential computing
H04W (wireless communication networks) appears in 2,210 records — roughly 6% of the corpus — which is notable volume but heavily skewed toward a few large applicants (Apple’s H04W 12 subclass focus is an example). Confidential computing applied to 5G network slicing, mobile edge computing, and device attestation in cellular environments remains an area where mid-tier and specialist entrants could differentiate. Entry paths include collaboration with network equipment vendors or mobile platform providers who lack deep TEE expertise.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ in their technology route emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | G06F 21 · Electric digital data processing | H04L 9 · Digital information transmission | H04L 29 · Digital information transmission | G06F 9 · Electric digital data processing | G06F 12 · Electric digital data processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Corporation | Strong · 2,003 | Strong · 1,362 | Moderate · 470 | Moderate · 828 | Moderate · 722 |
| Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC | Strong · 752 | Strong · 449 | Moderate · 239 | Moderate · 161 | Emerging · 98 |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Strong · 512 | Strong · 260 | Emerging · 66 | Emerging · 73 | Emerging · 51 |
| Apple Inc. | Strong · 345 | Strong · 366 | Moderate · 142 | Emerging · 51 | Emerging · 36 |
| International Business Machines Corporation | Strong · 315 | Strong · 210 | Absent | Moderate · 138 | Emerging · 58 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Strong · 322 | Strong · 238 | Moderate · 75 | Absent | Absent |
| Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. | Strong · 316 | Strong · 268 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Intel Corporation is the leading filer with 4,061 patent records, nearly three times the count of second-ranked Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC at 1,456. Intel’s portfolio is concentrated in hardware-rooted trusted execution environments and cryptographic protocols.
Annual filing volume peaked in 2019 at 2,274 records. Activity has been easing since, declining across 2020–2023. Figures for 2024 and later are under-counted due to publication lag and do not represent the true current rate.
The United States is the dominant jurisdiction, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). Singapore, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom form a secondary tier. China shows limited direct filings despite several top-ranked Chinese applicants, who route protection primarily through US and PCT channels.
G06F (electric digital data processing) and H04L (digital information transmission) dominate the corpus, reflecting the core hardware security and cryptographic protocol stack. H04W (wireless networks) and G06Q (business and commerce data processing) are the next largest branches, each at roughly 6% of records.
IBM’s global subsidiaries are the most active co-filing network, with IBM Deutschland GmbH (21 joint records), IBM United Kingdom Ltd (17), and IBM (China) Co. Ltd (15) filing alongside the parent entity. On the Chinese side, Advanced New Technologies and Alibaba Group Holding have the largest single co-filing pair count at 22 records.
G06N (AI models) is the most technically significant sparse branch, with 749 records representing only 2% of the corpus, despite strong commercial demand for privacy-preserving AI inference inside secure enclaves. H04W (wireless networks) at 6% of records is larger in volume but remains fragmented, with opportunity in 5G edge and mobile attestation applications.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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