US Patent Rankings 2024: Who Filed the Most?

In 2024, the United States continued to lead the global innovation race, with patent filings surging across sectors like AI, semiconductors and biotechnology. Generative AI patents alone skyrocketed by 56%, with Google leading the charge. (Source)

This surge follows updated guidance from the USPTO, which clarified that AI-driven inventions can be patentable if they show clear technological improvements, though the debate over AI inventorship persists. (Source) The US remains a global force, accounting for the largest share of non-resident patent filings across major offices worldwide in 2023. (Source)

This report dives into the top innovators of 2024, driving patent activity in the United States of America and the companies shaping tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

Top Leading American Companies in 2024

Rank	Company	Patent Published in 2024	Patent Published in 2023	YoY Change(%)
Qualcomm	8240	8136	0.012783
Apple	6758	5714	0.182709
IBM	5046	6529	-0.22714
Intel	4450	4623	-0.037422
Google	4196	3920	0.070408
Micron	3885	3773	0.029685
Microsoft	3534	3626	-0.025372
Dell	3159	2073	0.523878
General Motors	2586	2088	0.238506
Capital One	2325	2080	0.117788
Ford	2264	2453	-0.077049
Texas Instruments	1955	1881	0.039341
Applied Materials	1906	1836	0.038126
Cisco	1902	1662	0.144404
Amazon	1867	1971	-0.052765
Boeing	1480	1351	0.095485
Nike	1421	1560	-0.089103
Snap	1371	1332	0.029279
Oracle	1169	1251	-0.065548
NVIDIA	1119	945	0.184127
T-Mobile	1119	1054	0.06167
Honeywell	1106	976	0.133197
General Electric	1059	978	0.082822
Boston Scientific	1051	788	0.333756
Meta	1050	1217	-0.137223
Procter & Gamble	1000	945	0.058201
SanDisk	995	945	0.05291
VMware	956	1246	-0.232745
Schlumberger	955	716	0.333799
Halliburton	951	1129	-0.157662
Comcast	918	786	0.167939
Adeia	913	824	0.10801
Milwaukee Tool	911	679	0.341679
RTX	890	871	0.021814
Deere	853	814	0.047912
3M	843	827	0.019347
AT&T	841	1293	-0.349575
Adobe	836	861	-0.029036
HP	809	1295	-0.37529
HPE	783	798	-0.018797
State Farm	755	592	0.275338
Illinois Tool Works	746	630	0.184127
InterDigital	733	499	0.468938
Corning	721	809	-0.108776
Salesforce	710	831	-0.145608
AMD	699	625	0.1184
Verizon	696	805	-0.135404
Monsanto	684	532	0.285714
Becton Dickinson	633	537	0.178771
Collins Aerospace	628	687	-0.085881

In 2024, U.S. patent filings tell a story of strong growth and shifting dynamics. Qualcomm remains at the top with 8,240 patents, showing steady progress, while Apple surged by 18.27%, reaching 6,758 patents. Google’s continued leadership in AI saw a 7.04% rise, while Micron and Capital One impressed with significant gains of 2.97% and 11.78%, respectively. However, Intel and Microsoft experienced slight declines, signalling a possible shift in focus. With a decline in VR and 5G patents, AI and sustainability innovations are now taking the spotlight, reshaping the future of US patent activity.

While corporate giants continue to dominate the patent scene, universities are also playing a pivotal role in driving innovation forward. With their focus on research and breakthrough technologies, academic institutions are becoming key players in the intellectual property landscape. The following table highlights the top US universities leading the way in patent filings, showcasing the contributions of academia to the nation’s technological advancements.

Which Top 10 Universities Are Driving Innovation in the USA Through Patents in 2024?

University	Patents
University of California	1441
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	648
University of Texas	635
Stanford University	545
Arizona State University	437
University of Michigan	387
Johns Hopkins	382
Northwestern University	366
Harvard University	359
University of Pennsylvania	336
University of Pittsburgh	275
Duke University	273
Columbia University	263
University of Washington	215

In 2024, U.S. universities continued to lead in patent innovation, with the University of California (UC) system at the forefront, securing 1,441 patents. Notably, UC maintained its position as the largest user of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system since 1993, publishing 519 PCT applications in 2024. (Source) The University of Texas and Stanford University also demonstrated strong performances with 635 and 545 patents, respectively. Arizona State University (ASU) ranked No. 9 worldwide with 180 US utility patents, surpassing institutions like Johns Hopkins and Harvard in 2024 National Academy of Inventors’ annual Top 100 Worldwide Universities list. (Source) These figures underscore the pivotal role of academic institutions in driving technological advancements across various sectors.

However, behind every university breakthrough is a researcher turning vision into invention. The next section profiles the top 25 inventors who are actively shaping United States of America’s patent landscape in 2024—and driving its most important innovations forward.

Which Inventors Are Shaping the United States of America’s Tech Future in 2024?

Inventor	Patent Count
Luo Tao	1484
Li Junyi	845
Zhang Dawei	822
Dinan Esmael Hejazi	747
Zhang Xiaoxia	722
Zhang Li	675
Zhou Yan	653
Liu Shan	637
Zeng Wei	624
Sun Jing	610
Gaal Peter	576
Sun Haitong	576
He Hong	569
Zhang Kai	553
Zhang Yushu	533
Zhang Yu	501
Zhang Lei	500
Ye Chunxuan	472
Yamazaki Shunpei	463
Shelton Iv Frederick E	454
Chen Wanshi	438
Zhang Wei	437
Zhou Hua	425
Oteri Oghenekome	418
Xie Ruilong	414

While the top inventors are making their mark, it’s the technologies they are pioneering that are truly shaping the landscape of innovation in the US in 2024. As we zoom out from individual achievements, a clearer picture emerges of where the focus is: from the rise of AI to advances in sustainable energy, US patent trends reveal the strategic areas capturing attention. The following section dives into the top 10 technology domains that dominated filings this year, providing a snapshot of where American innovation is heading.