Hybrid Supercapacitor Electrolyte Patent Landscape 2026
The hybrid supercapacitor electrolyte field is a compact, maturing space dominated by a small European-led cluster—Robert Bosch and the French Atomic Energy Commission together account for the largest share of filings, with activity concentrated almost entirely in the capacitor branch. Annual volume has plateaued near its 2017 peak, signalling a field that rewards precision positioning over broad coverage.
Robert Bosch and CEA lead a highly concentrated field
Robert Bosch GmbH holds the top position with 17 patent records, immediately followed by the French Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA) with 16 patent records—a near-tied leadership pair that sets the competitive tone for the entire landscape.
The top five filers collectively represent 42% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, confirming a strongly concentrated upper tier. A step-down to single-digit counts begins at rank three, occupied by University of François Rabelais and CNRS each with 6 patent records, indicating a clear tier gap between the two leaders and the rest of the field.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Bosch GmbH | 17 | |
| 2 | French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 16 | |
| 3 | University of Tours François Rabelais | 6 | |
| 4 | French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | 6 | |
| 5 | King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 5 | |
| 6 | Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (CAS) | 4 | |
| 7 | University of Orleans | 4 | |
| 8 | YEDA RES & DEV CO LTD | 3 | |
| 9 | TECHNICAL INST OF PHYSICS & CHEMISTRY – CHINESE AC… | 3 | |
| 10 | Jiaxing University | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Saft America Inc. | 2 | |
| 12 | Chaoyang Liyuan New Energy | 2 | |
| 13 | Pondicherry University | 2 | |
| 14 | Kwon Min-sang | 2 | |
| 15 | Taizhou Juna New Energy Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 16 | Tongji University | 2 | |
| 17 | Tianjin University | 2 | |
| 18 | The Pennsylvania State University Research Foundation | 2 | |
| 19 | Anhui University of Technology | 2 | |
| 20 | United Arab Emirates University | 1 |
The near-parity between Bosch and CEA, both anchored in H01G capacitor technology, suggests that the leading industrial and leading public-research positions are closely contested; neither has a dominant lead that would deter a well-resourced challenger entering via a differentiated electrolyte chemistry or application niche.
Filings from approximately 2024–2026 are likely under-counted due to standard patent publication lags and should not be interpreted as a decline in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing volume has plateaued; capacitor chemistry dominates the technology mix
Two charts together reveal a field that was most active in 2017, has since stabilised at a lower steady rate, and is overwhelmingly concentrated in a single IPC class. Understanding both patterns is essential for identifying where incremental versus disruptive R&D bets make sense.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings peaked at 20 records in 2017, then settled into a fluctuating range of 4–10 records per year through 2024. The most recent years (2025–2026) show low counts that reflect publication lag rather than a real drop; the field should be read as plateaued, not declining.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01G (Capacitors) dominates the technology mix with 112 patent records, dwarfing all other branches. H01M (Batteries, cells and fuel cells) is a distant second at 9 records, followed by H02J (Power supply and grid systems) at 4 records. The remaining branches—including nanotechnology, heterocyclic compounds, and semiconductor devices—each carry only 1 record, underscoring how narrowly the field is currently defined.
↗ 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.
Aqueous Electrolyte, Use of the Electrolyte and Hy…
An aqueous electrolyte for a capacitor contains at least one transition metal complex. An aqueous electrolyte containing at least one transition metal complex can be used in a supercapacitor, in a pseudocapacitor, or in a hybrid supercapacitor. A hybrid supercapacitor contains an aqueous electrolyte, which contains at least one transition metal complex. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种混合超级电容器 | 32 |
| 2 | 一种水系电解液及其应用 | 20 |
| 3 | Electrochemical supercapacitor device made from an… | 16 |
| 4 | 水系碱性电解质及其应用、锌基混合超级电容器及其制备方法 | 13 |
| 5 | 金属材料用作锌离子水系超级电容器负极及锌离子水系混合超级电容器 | 12 |
| 6 | 具有超高能量密度的柔性非对称超级电容器及其制备方法 | 12 |
| 7 | 一种水系混合电解液和其在锌离子混合超级电容器应用 | 10 |
| 8 | Nickel supercapacitor engine starting module | 10 |
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
A mature, concentrated field with a dominant technology branch and an active Franco-European collaboration network creates a specific set of entry conditions. The cards below translate the structural evidence into actionable R&D signals.
Field has plateaued near its 2017 peak
The lifecycle stage is Maturity: annual filings have plateaued near their 2017 peak of 20 records, with no sustained growth in the multi-year window. For R&D teams, this means foundational electrolyte architectures are largely staked out; incremental improvements to established chemistries face a crowded, well-defended space. Differentiation through novel electrolyte classes or hybrid configurations not yet densely claimed is the more productive entry vector.
Lifecycle: MatureTwo leaders hold a commanding share; tier two is accessible
Robert Bosch (17 patent records) and CEA (16 patent records) together define the frontier. The top five filers account for 42% of activity among the hundred largest filers, leaving a long tail of academic and smaller industrial players each holding 6 or fewer patent records. The tier-two cluster—François Rabelais, CNRS, King Fahd University—is technically capable but not deeply entrenched, suggesting that a focused challenger with 10–15 targeted families could credibly contest second-tier positions.
High concentrationA dense French academic-industry consortium anchors the ecosystem
The most active co-filing cluster pairs Blue Solutions (Bolloré Group), CNRS, University of François Rabelais, and University of Orleans, with each dyad recording 4–5 co-filed patent records. A secondary link connects the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology with the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. This Franco-European consortium effectively controls a segment of the ionic liquid and solid electrolyte sub-space; partnering with or designing around this cluster is a key strategic consideration for new entrants.
Consortium-ledChina and the US are the primary filing jurisdictions
China leads all jurisdictions at 45 patent records, followed by the United States at 33 records—together covering the vast majority of filings. Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT) account for 10 and 7 records respectively, with India and South Korea each at 4 records. The China-first pattern reflects both active domestic research and a strategic choice to secure rights in the world’s largest battery and capacitor manufacturing market; any serious commercialisation effort must account for Chinese freedom-to-operate.
China & US dominantGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Solutions (Bolloré Group) | French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | 5 |
| Blue Solutions (Bolloré Group) | University of Tours François Rabelais | 5 |
| French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | University of Tours François Rabelais | 5 |
| Blue Solutions (Bolloré Group) | University of Orleans | 4 |
| French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | University of Orleans | 4 |
| University of Tours François Rabelais | University of Orleans | 4 |
| Blue Solutions (Bolloré Group) | University of Orleans | 1 |
| French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | University of Orleans | 1 |
| University of Tours François Rabelais | University of Orleans | 1 |
| Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (CAS) | University of Chinese Academy of Sciences | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Bosch and CEA lead on volume; new entrants are emerging in adjacent branches
The top two filers are an industrial conglomerate and a national research agency, both concentrated in capacitor-class technology. Momentum data identifies CEA and King Fahd University as new entrants in the most recent filing window, signalling fresh activity at the frontier.
Robert Bosch GmbH
Bosch holds the top position with 17 patent records, focused almost exclusively on H01G 11 (electrochemical double-layer capacitors), with minor positions in H01G 9 and C07D 295 (heterocyclic compounds). The momentum data does not flag Bosch as a new entrant, indicating an established, sustained filing programme rather than a recent surge. Their industrial profile suggests electrolyte development is tied to automotive or industrial energy storage system integration.
patent records: 17CEA
CEA holds 16 patent records—one behind Bosch—and is marked as a new entrant in the most recent filing period, indicating renewed or accelerating activity. Uniquely among the top filers, CEA carries significant positions in both H01G 11 (capacitors, 16 records) and H01M 10 and H01M 12 (batteries and fuel cells, 4 records each), reflecting a cross-domain electrolyte strategy that bridges supercapacitor and battery chemistries. This dual focus makes CEA the most technically versatile leader in the dataset.
patent records: 16| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches: battery integration, grid systems, and biomedical applications
Outside the dominant H01G capacitor branch, several IPC classes show very sparse coverage relative to their technical adjacency. These are observations of relative sparsity; they warrant further technical and freedom-to-operate due diligence before being treated as investment targets.
H01M · Battery-supercapacitor hybrid integration
With only 9 patent records against 112 in H01G, the H01M branch is the most technically proximate under-served area. Hybrid electrolytes that simultaneously serve battery-type Faradaic and capacitor-type double-layer mechanisms are central to next-generation energy-dense supercapacitors, yet this branch remains lightly filed. CEA is the only top-tier filer with meaningful H01M positions, suggesting room for challengers to build IP in aqueous or quasi-solid electrolyte formulations designed for dual-mechanism cells. A viable entry path involves targeting zinc-ion or lithium-ion hybrid cell electrolytes, which appear in the top-cited patent list.
Search this in Eureka →H02J · Grid and power-supply system integration
H02J carries only 4 patent records in this corpus, despite the growing relevance of supercapacitor-based buffer storage in grid-edge and microgrid applications. The technical value of electrolyte performance at system level (cycle life, temperature stability, self-discharge rate) is high and largely unaddressed in the patent record. F02N (engine starting) similarly shows only 2 records, even though engine-start supercapacitor modules appear in the top-cited set. An entry path targeting electrolyte formulations optimised for pulse-power and wide-temperature-range operation could establish a defensible position in both branches without directly confronting the Bosch-CEA core.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across IPC branches
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01G 11 · Capacitors | H01G 9 · Capacitors | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 12 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 4 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | Strong · 16 | Emerging · 2 | Moderate · 4 | Moderate · 4 | Emerging · 3 |
| Robert Bosch GmbH | Strong · 17 | Emerging · 1 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| University of Tours François Rabelais | Strong · 5 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) | Strong · 5 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| University of Orleans | Strong · 4 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 78 patent families globally. This figure reflects the distinct invention families identified for this topic and is the baseline for all landscape-level analysis.
Robert Bosch GmbH leads with 17 patent records, closely followed by the French Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA) with 16 patent records. The two are effectively co-leaders, separated by a single record.
China leads all jurisdictions with 45 patent records, followed by the United States at 33 records. Europe (EPO) accounts for 10 records, WIPO (PCT) for 7 records, and India and South Korea each for 4 records. Securing freedom-to-operate in China and the US is therefore a baseline requirement for commercialisation.
The field is at the Maturity stage. Annual filings plateaued near their 2017 peak of 20 records and have remained in a lower, fluctuating range since. This indicates that foundational electrolyte architectures are largely established and incremental improvements face a well-defended landscape.
The most active co-filing cluster involves Blue Solutions, CNRS, University of François Rabelais, and University of Orleans—each dyad within this French consortium recording 4 to 5 co-filed patent records. A secondary collaboration links the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology with the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
H01M (Batteries, cells and fuel cells) carries only 9 patent records compared to 112 in the dominant H01G branch, making battery-supercapacitor hybrid integration the most proximate sparse area. H02J (Power supply and grid systems) holds only 4 records, and A61B (Diagnosis and surgery, relevant to biomedical wearable energy devices) holds 3 records. These branches are under-represented relative to their technical adjacency but require independent due diligence before being treated as investment priorities.
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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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