howmanypatents.com

What It Is

Howmanypatents.com is a patent intelligence service operated by cintelliq Limited, positioned as “patent intelligence for people who don’t read patents.” Instead of requiring users to read patent documents one by one, it analyzes a company’s full patent portfolio to show which technologies the company is investing in, how the intensity of its innovation activity is changing, which international markets it is targeting, and how its patent activity compares with that of other companies.

Core Capabilities and Data

Its product formats include Newsletter, Reports, and Consulting. The Newsletter provides regular analysis of patent trends, company filings, IPO/M&A activity, competitor comparisons, and university innovation. Reports cover company reports, industry reports, and ongoing monitoring reports. Consulting offers customized analysis around specific companies, technology areas, or industry questions. The site explicitly states that its company patent analysis covers more than 19,000 companies, with report dimensions including publication trends, country filings, patent families, grant and application status, and technology classifications. However, the page does not specify the sources of the underlying patent databases, update frequency, or coverage methodology, which are points worth confirming when assessing data rigor.

Pricing and Delivery

In terms of pricing, the Newsletter has both free and paid options. Monitor services support monthly and quarterly subscriptions, with subscriptions renewing automatically on a monthly or annual basis. Reports and consulting are paid products, but no specific prices are disclosed in the public text. Payment is required in advance, with online credit and debit card payments supported and processed by a third-party payment provider. Non-UK customers may incur cross-border or exchange-rate fees. Access is usually confirmed by email within one business day after payment, and login uses a passwordless magic link.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage is that its analysis is closer to strategic planning, investment research, and competitive intelligence use cases, lowering the barrier to using patent data. It also offers three levels of depth—reports, monitoring, and consulting—making it suitable for needs ranging from lightweight tracking to dedicated due diligence. The operator has worked with patent data since 2003, which also strengthens the credibility of its methodology. The limitations are that pricing is not transparent, and the site does not disclose API, BI, or enterprise system integration capabilities. Reports and subscriptions are generally non-refundable once accessed, and the content is stated not to constitute investment or financial advice.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is better suited to R&D leaders, strategy teams, competitive intelligence and technology intelligence professionals, VCs, and M&A advisors, for use cases such as tracking competitors’ technology moves, analyzing industry trends, and evaluating partners or acquisition targets. The public text does not provide information about access from China, so this remains unknown. Payments are likely smoother with an overseas bank card. If localized services or a Chinese-language interface are required, alternatives to compare include PatSnap, Derwent Innovation, PatentSight, Questel Orbit, The Lens, or Google Patents.