FO Membrane & Draw-Solute Materials Patent Landscape
The forward osmosis membrane and draw-solute materials field is moderately concentrated, with a small cluster of commercial firms and research universities sharing the top positions; Porifera and Asahi Kasei lead by patent records, but the five largest filers account for only 28% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. Annual filings have eased back from a 2019 peak, marking a field that has passed its primary growth phase while still sustaining active prosecution across US and EPO jurisdictions.
Porifera and Asahi Kasei lead a moderately fragmented field
Porifera Inc holds the top position with 47 patent records, followed closely by Asahi Kasei (46 records), Nanyang Technological University (38 records), Oasys Water (32 records), and Trevi Systems and Forward Water Technologies tied at 29 records each. The ranking reflects a mix of commercial ventures and academic institutions competing at close volume levels.
The top five filers together represent 28% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating a moderately fragmented competitive structure rather than monopolistic control. No single player commands a dominant share, and the gap between the first- and fifth-ranked filers is narrow.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porifera Inc | 47 | |
| 2 | Asahi Kasei Corporation | 46 | |
| 3 | Nanyang Technological University | 38 | |
| 4 | Oasys Water Inc | 32 | |
| 5 | Trevi Systems Inc | 29 | |
| 6 | Forward Water Technologies | 29 | |
| 7 | Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd | 29 | |
| 8 | Regents of the University of California | 25 | |
| 9 | Hydration Systems | 20 | |
| 10 | LG NanoH2O Inc | 17 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Gradiant Corporation | 14 | |
| 12 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 13 | |
| 13 | Diamond Gold Investors LLC | 12 | |
| 14 | Benit M Co Ltd | 12 | |
| 15 | China CAMC Engineering Hong Kong Co Ltd | 12 | |
| 16 | Kobe University | 12 | |
| 17 | NRGTEK Inc | 12 | |
| 18 | University of Manchester | 11 | |
| 19 | KOREA INST OF MACHINERY & MATERIALS | 10 | |
| 20 | Yale University | 9 |
This near-parity among leaders suggests that the technology has not yet consolidated around a single IP platform, leaving realistic entry points for challengers who can differentiate on membrane chemistry or draw-solute design. Academic entrants—Nanyang Tech, University of California, Kobe University, Yale, Manchester—hold meaningful positions alongside commercial players, signaling that fundamental materials research remains an active IP battleground.
Filing counts for 2023 onward are subject to publication lag and likely understate actual activity; interpret the most recent data points as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2019 filing peak gives way to consolidation; separation science dominates the IPC mix
The annual trend chart tracks filing activity from 2017 through 2026, while the technology composition chart shows how patent records distribute across IPC classes, revealing which scientific disciplines underpin the field.
Annual filing trend
Filings peaked at 53 records in 2019, dipped in 2021, recovered to 45 in 2022, and have since fallen sharply—reaching only 10 records in each of 2024 and 2025 and 2 in 2026. The 2023–2026 data points reflect publication lag and should be treated as provisional lower bounds, not confirmation of a real collapse in activity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01D (separation processes, filtration) dominates with 676 records, followed by C02F (water and wastewater treatment) at 403. All other IPC classes trail far behind: C08G (condensation polymers) at 37 and C07C (acyclic and carbocyclic compounds) at 19 are the next largest, highlighting that membrane polymer chemistry is a secondary but distinct strand of activity. Niche branches such as food and beverage processing (A23L), coating processes (B05D), and energy applications (F03G, H01M) account for small fractions and represent adjacent application domains.
↗ 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.
Draw solute for forward osmosis, draw solution inc…
A draw solute for forward osmosis may include a copolymer including a first structural unit, where a temperature-sensitive side chain is graft polymerized, and a second structural unit including a hydrophilic functional group. The temperature-sensitive side chain may include a structural unit for a side chain including a temperature-sensitive moiety. The… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thin film composite membranes for forward osmosis,… | 101 |
| 2 | Forward osmosis separation processes | 72 |
| 3 | Forward osmosis pressurized device and process for… | 71 |
| 4 | Forward osmosis membrane for seawater desalination… | 69 |
| 5 | High Flux Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis and … | 66 |
| 6 | Forward Osmosis Separation Processes | 65 |
| 7 | Asymmetric forward osmosis membranes | 64 |
| 8 | Forward osmosis membranes | 52 |
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 IP structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations—on lifecycle stage, competitive concentration, collaborative ecosystems, and geographic reach—shape where new R&D investment is likely to find room and where incumbents are entrenched.
Post-peak field with residual prosecution activity
The lifecycle evidence places this field in Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2019 peak. On a multi-year view the corpus is still substantive at 291 patent families, but the direction of annual volume is downward. Entrants should expect slower IP accumulation by incumbents and may find more freedom to operate in recently sparse branches, but should not interpret the downturn as market exit—leading applicants are still actively prosecuting.
Lifecycle: DeclineFragmented top tier with no dominant platform owner
With the top five filers holding 28% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output, no single entity controls the field. The one-record gap between ranks 1 and 2 (Porifera at 47, Asahi Kasei at 46) underscores how competitive the leading positions are. This fragmentation means licensing negotiations are distributed rather than bilateral, and building a blocking position requires assembling rights from multiple parties.
Moderate fragmentationIndustry-academia pairs anchor the co-filing ecosystem
The most active co-filing pair is LG NanoH2O and LG Chem with 13 joint records, reflecting a vertically integrated materials-to-module development path. Trevi Systems and Nippon Shokubai co-filed 10 records, and Nippon Shokubai also partnered with Kobe University on 6 records—illustrating how draw-solute chemistry is being developed through corporate-university alliances. Forward Water Technologies and Queens University co-filed 5 records, and Samsung Electronics and Hanyang University contributed 2 joint records.
Corporate-academia pairsUS-centric prosecution with meaningful EPO and PCT reach
The United States leads jurisdiction coverage with 207 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 109 and WIPO PCT at 75. China (45), India (40), Australia (39), Japan (31), and Singapore (31) form a secondary tier. The strong US and EPO presence reflects where commercial deployment and standards-setting are concentrated; the relatively modest China filing count is notable given China’s scale in membrane manufacturing and water treatment infrastructure.
US-EPO coreGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LG NanoH2O Inc | LG Chem Ltd | 13 |
| Trevi Systems Inc | Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd | 10 |
| Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd | Kobe University | 6 |
| Forward Water Technologies | Queens University | 5 |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 汉阳大学校产学协力团 | 2 |
| Nanyang Technological University | Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Porifera and Asahi Kasei lead on volume; Asahi Kasei shows the strongest recent momentum
The two leading applicants share a focus on separation-process IPC codes but differ in trajectory: Asahi Kasei is accelerating while Porifera’s recent filings are modest. Both concentrate heavily on B01D separation-process subclasses.
Porifera Inc
Porifera holds the top position with 47 patent records, focused on B01D separation processes (subclasses 61, 65) and C02F water treatment. Its momentum trend is listed as a new entrant in the recent window, suggesting its historical portfolio is large but recent filing activity is limited. The technology emphasis is squarely on membrane module design and water treatment system integration.
families: 47Asahi Kasei
Asahi Kasei ranks second with 46 patent records and is the only top applicant showing strong positive momentum at +44% in the recent period versus the prior period. Its focus spans B01D separation process subclasses 61, 71, and 69—indicating broad coverage across membrane process configurations and material types. This combination of near-parity volume and accelerating recent activity makes Asahi Kasei the most strategically dynamic incumbent to monitor.
families: 46| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Asahi Kasei Corporation | 23 | ▲ +44% |
| Porifera Inc | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Trevi Systems Inc | 3 | ▼ -79% |
| Forward Water Technologies | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd | 12 | ▼ -20% |
Under-served IPC branches adjacent to the core separation-science cluster
Several IPC classes appear in the corpus at low share, indicating areas where forward osmosis membrane and draw-solute IP is sparse relative to the dominant B01D/C02F core. These observations reflect relative sparsity and are not validated commercial opportunities without further diligence.
C08G · Condensation polymers
With 37 records and a 3% share, condensation polymer chemistry is the largest of the adjacent branches but still far below the core separation-process codes. Draw-solute materials based on novel polyether or polyamide architectures fall here. An entrant with polymer synthesis capability could differentiate on solute molecular design—influencing osmotic pressure, re-concentration efficiency, and rejection selectivity—areas where the existing IP is thin relative to the membrane-structure work in B01D.
Search this in Eureka →B05D · Coating processes
Coating processes (B05D) appear in only 16 records, a 1% share, despite thin-film composite membrane fabrication being central to FO membrane performance. Interfacial polymerization and surface coating methods for modifying selective layers represent a plausible entry path for materials or coating-technology companies. The low filing density here suggests that coating-process IP has not been systematically pursued as a standalone asset class, creating potential room for process-specific claims.
Search this in Eureka →Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 291 patent families in scope for forward osmosis membrane and draw-solute materials.
Porifera Inc leads with 47 patent records, followed closely by Asahi Kasei with 46 patent records. The gap between the two is narrow, and Asahi Kasei shows stronger recent filing momentum at +44% versus its prior period.
The United States is the primary prosecution venue with 207 patent records. Europe (EPO) follows at 109 records and WIPO PCT at 75. China, India, Australia, Japan, and Singapore each host between 25 and 45 records, forming a meaningful secondary tier.
Evidence places this field in Decline, with annual filings easing back from a 2019 peak of 53 records. The most recent filing years show reduced activity, though publication lag means 2023–2026 counts are provisional lower bounds.
B01D (separation processes and filtration) dominates with 676 records, followed by C02F (water and wastewater treatment) at 403 records. All other IPC classes are substantially smaller; C08G (condensation polymers) is the next largest at 37 records.
Yes. The most active co-filing pair is LG NanoH2O and LG Chem with 13 joint records. Trevi Systems and Nippon Shokubai co-filed 10 records. Nippon Shokubai also partnered with Kobe University on 6 records, and Forward Water Technologies co-filed 5 records with Queens University—illustrating active industry-academia collaboration in draw-solute chemistry.
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