Quantum Random Number and Key Distribution Patents: Top Filers 2026
Quantum random number and key distribution patents: who is filing, and where the field is still open
Concentrated but not locked down. the ranked leader holds 137 records, yet the top 5 together account for only 21.2% of all 2,251 records in scope — filing is led by a handful of names but far from closed. Annual counts rose from 99 in 2017 to a peak of 258 in 2022, then eased to 176 by 2024 — a 32% decline across 2021–2024. Treat 2025 and 2026 figures as incomplete: publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the most recent bars will fill in over time rather than representing a real slowdown yet.
- 1KK TOSHIBA6.1%
- 2ARQIT LTD5.4%
- 3TOSHIBA RES EURO4.5%
- 4NXGEN PARTNERS IP LLC2.7%
- 5NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY2.6%
See the full quantum random number and key distribution analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions on this landscape
Who are the leading patent holders in quantum key distribution and quantum random number generation?
Filing in this space is led by a single assignee holding 137 of the 2,251 records in scope, with the gap to fifth place (58 records) and tenth place (44 records) showing a steep drop-off after the top few names. Even so, the top 5 assignees combined account for only 21.2% of all records, and the top 10 for 32.5%, so leadership is real but far from exclusive. The remaining filings are spread across a long tail of smaller and single-filing entrants, which matters for anyone assessing freedom to operate rather than assuming a closed field.
Is patent filing activity in quantum key distribution growing or slowing down?
Filings rose from 99 in 2017 to a peak of 258 in 2022, then declined to 176 by 2024 — a 32% drop across that three-year window. Counts for 2025 and 2026 appear lower still, but publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so those recent years are undercounted rather than necessarily reflecting a real slowdown. The safest read is that filing activity has cooled from its 2022 high, with the true 2025-26 trajectory not yet visible in published data.
Which patent classes dominate quantum key distribution filings?
H04L (digital information transmission) appears in 64.4% of the 2,251 records and H04B (general transmission) in 47.7%, making protocol- and network-layer claims the most heavily contested part of the field. Processing-related classes like G06F (14.7%) and G06N (9.4%) trail well behind, and optical hardware classes such as G02F, G01J and G02B each sit under 7%. Because a single record can carry multiple IPC codes, these shares overlap rather than summing to 100%, but the ranking itself is a reliable guide to where claim density is highest.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Quantum Random Number and Key Distribution covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.