Hybrid Supercapacitor Electrode Patent Landscape 2026
Activity in hybrid supercapacitor electrodes is fragmented across a wide group of academic and commercial filers, with no single entity holding a dominant position. The field has plateaued near its 2020 peak on a multi-year basis, signalling a maturing but still-active research front centred on capacitor electrode chemistry.
Fragmented field led narrowly by Volta Pty Ltd and Urbix Inc
Volta Pty Ltd and Urbix Inc share the top rank with 11 patent families each, followed by Yeda Research and Development with 9 and Robert Bosch GmbH with 8. No single player commands a decisive lead, reflecting the broad participation of universities, start-ups, and industrial labs.
The top five filers account for 23% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers — a relatively low concentration figure that confirms the landscape is not yet dominated by any corporate bloc. The tier gap between the top cluster and the rest of the field is shallow.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volta Pty Ltd | 11 | |
| 2 | Urbix Inc | 11 | |
| 3 | YEDA RES & DEV CO LTD | 9 | |
| 4 | Robert Bosch GmbH | 8 | |
| 5 | Regents of the University of California | 5 | |
| 6 | French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 5 | |
| 7 | Anhui Normal University | 5 | |
| 8 | Pocell Tech Ltd | 5 | |
| 9 | Nantong Nanjing University Materials Engineering Research Institute | 4 | |
| 10 | Jiangsu University | 4 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 4 | |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates University | 3 | |
| 13 | R.V. College of Engineering | 3 | |
| 14 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | 3 | |
| 15 | Jianghan University | 3 | |
| 16 | China Three Gorges University | 3 | |
| 17 | Regents of the University of Michigan | 3 | |
| 18 | Tongji University | 3 | |
| 19 | KUNMING UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 3 | |
| 20 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH LIAONING | 2 |
The near-parity between Volta Pty Ltd and Urbix Inc at the top suggests that first-mover advantages are still contestable, and that a focused filing programme by a well-resourced entrant could realistically reach the leading tier.
Filing counts for the most recent 18–24 months are likely under-represented due to standard patent publication delays; treat 2025–2026 data as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity has plateaued since a 2020 spike; capacitor IPC dominates the technology mix
Two charts together reveal the field’s life-cycle position and where technical effort is concentrated: annual filing volumes show a 2020 surge followed by stabilisation, while the IPC branch breakdown shows that electrode-level capacitor chemistry (H01G) accounts for the large majority of classified records.
Annual filing trend
Filings surged to 39 records in 2020, then settled into a band of 15–25 per year through 2025. The 2026 figure reflects only the early part of the year and should not be read as a further decline. Overall, the multi-year trajectory is stable rather than sharply rising or falling.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01G (Capacitors) is the dominant IPC class by a wide margin, reflecting the core electrode-design focus of the corpus. H01M (Batteries, cells and fuel cells) is the next-largest cluster, confirming that battery-capacitor hybrid architectures are a meaningful secondary thread. B82Y (Nanotechnology applications) and inorganic chemistry branches (C01B, C01G) appear at lower but non-trivial levels, pointing to active materials research.
↗ 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.
Energy storage devices
A hybrid supercapacitor where the charging state is indicated by color is demonstrated. The device comprises a molecular network that functions as both the battery-type electrode and the charge indicator. Related batteries, electrodes and devices, their processes of preparation and methods of use are provided as well. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hybrid supercapacitor using surface-oxidized trans… | 56 |
| 2 | 一种纳米花状NiCoP超级电容器电极材料及其制备方法和应用 | 27 |
| 3 | 一种复合电极材料及制备方法及用途 | 19 |
| 4 | Magnetically modified manganese dioxide electrodes… | 19 |
| 5 | 基于过渡金属硫化物/氮掺杂石墨烯与三氧化二铁/石墨烯的超级电容器 | 14 |
| 6 | Flexible asymmetric electrochemical cells using na… | 13 |
| 7 | Asymmetric supercapacitor with hierarchical electr… | 12 |
| 8 | 一种高温混合型超级电容器及其制备方法 | 11 |
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
The combination of low concentration, a maturing annual filing pace, and a chemistry-heavy patent mix creates a landscape where targeted technical differentiation matters more than volume-based IP accumulation.
Field has plateaued near its 2020 peak
Annual filings have eased from the 2020 high of 39 records and have stabilised in the 15–25 range since. The lifecycle stage is Maturity: core electrode architectures are well-charted, reducing the probability of broad foundational claims being available. Incremental differentiation around active materials and fabrication processes remains the primary filing vector.
Maturity stageLow top-5 share leaves the ranking open to challengers
The top five filers hold 23% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output, and the two co-leaders each hold only 11 patent families. This shallow concentration means no single player can credibly block a well-directed entrant. A programme of 10–15 strategically placed families could bring a new filer into the top tier.
Low concentrationNantong College of Science & Technology and Nantong Nanjing University Materials Engineering Research Institute are the most active co-filers
The only recorded co-filing relationship in the evidence involves Nantong College of Science & Technology and the Nantong Nanjing University Materials Engineering Research Institute, with 4 jointly filed patent families. The breadth of individual academic filers across China, India, and the Middle East suggests that most institutions work independently rather than through formal IP partnerships.
Limited co-filingChina leads filings; India and the US follow at distance
China is the primary filing jurisdiction with 109 patent records, reflecting the density of Chinese university and industrial filers in the corpus. India and the United States each register meaningful but smaller volumes. PCT and EPO filings are present but modest, indicating that international protection strategies are not yet a standard practice across the field.
China-ledGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nantong College of Science & Technology | Nantong Nanjing University Materials Engineering Research Institute | 4 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Volta Pty Ltd and Urbix Inc co-lead with distinct technology emphases
The two top-ranked filers each hold 11 patent families but differ in their technical spread. Volta Pty Ltd covers capacitor, inorganic chemistry, and battery-cell branches, while Urbix Inc focuses tightly on the capacitor branch.
Volta Pty Ltd
Volta Pty Ltd co-leads the ranking with 11 patent families and shows the broadest technical footprint among the top filers: its portfolio spans H01G 11 (Capacitors), C01B 32 (Non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds), and H01M 4 (Batteries, cells and fuel cells). This multi-branch coverage suggests a materials-through-device strategy that spans electrode chemistry and hybrid cell architecture.
families: 11Urbix Inc
Urbix Inc is tied for the top rank with 11 patent families and concentrates entirely within H01G 11 (Capacitors), indicating a focused electrode-materials programme rather than a system-level approach. Its tight technical scope may reflect a carbon-materials or graphite-based electrode specialisation consistent with the company’s known commercial direction.
families: 11| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant electrode-chemistry core
Several IPC branches appear at low share relative to the dominant H01G cluster. These are observations of relative sparsity; where plausible technical value and a realistic entry path exist, they are noted as potentially worth watching.
H02J · Power supply and grid systems
H02J accounts for only 9 patent records — roughly 3% of classified records — despite hybrid supercapacitors being a natural fit for grid buffering and fast-charge power management applications. The sparsity may reflect a gap between materials-level research and system-integration IP. An entrant with expertise in power electronics or energy storage system design could find defensible space here by bridging electrode performance to grid or microgrid power delivery architectures.
Search this in Eureka →B82Y · Nanotechnology applications
B82Y appears in 22 patent records at roughly 7% of classified records, modest given how central nanostructured active materials are to hybrid electrode performance. The gap suggests that many nanotechnology-oriented inventions in this corpus are classified primarily under H01G or C01B rather than receiving explicit nanotechnology tags. A focused filing strategy explicitly claiming nanoscale architecture benefits — such as nanostructured MnO2, carbon nanotubes, or MXene-based electrodes — could establish a differentiated position in this adjacent branch.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across technology branches
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01G 11 · Capacitors | H01M 4 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | B82Y 30 · Nanotechnology applications | B82Y 40 · Nanotechnology applications | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volta Pty Ltd | Strong · 11 | Strong · 9 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | Strong · 5 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 5 |
| Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. | Strong · 9 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Anhui Normal University | Strong · 5 | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 2 | Absent |
| Urbix Inc | Strong · 8 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Robert Bosch GmbH | Strong · 8 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Jiangsu University | Strong · 6 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 178 patent families in scope for this topic on a global basis.
Volta Pty Ltd and Urbix Inc co-lead with 11 patent families each, followed by Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. with 9, Robert Bosch GmbH with 8, and the Regents of the University of California and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) each with 5.
China is the primary filing jurisdiction with 109 patent records, substantially ahead of India and the United States.
The field is assessed as being at a Maturity stage: annual filings have plateaued near the 2020 peak, with volumes stabilising in the 15–25 records per year range since then.
H02J (power supply and grid systems) and B82Y (nanotechnology applications) are the branches with the lowest patent-record counts relative to the dominant H01G capacitor class, representing potentially under-filed adjacent areas given the relevance of power integration and nanostructured materials to electrode design.
The evidence identifies one recorded co-filing relationship: Nantong College of Science & Technology and the Nantong Nanjing University Materials Engineering Research Institute jointly filed 4 patent families. Beyond this pair, most filers appear to operate independently.
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