Maxeon, Aiko Solar end European patent fight with $238 million license

Context:

• Maxeon, a Singapore-based solar panel manufacturer majority-owned by Chinese silicon wafer giant TCL Zhonghuan, has sold its solar products in the European market since 2007 under the SunPower brand. It owns over 2,000 granted solar power-related patents.
• In November 2023, Maxeon initiated a patent enforcement campaign against China-based Aiko Solar in the Mannheim Regional Court over the infringement of EP2297788 (“Back-contacted solar cells with doped polysilicon regions separated via trench structures and fabrication process therefor”). It has since filed parallel suits over EP3065184 (“Trench process and structure for backside contact solar cells with polysilicon doped regions”) in the Unified Patent Court’s (UPC’s) Düsseldorf Local Division (LD) and over EP2297789 (“Trench process and structure for backside contact solar cells with polysilicon doped regions” in the Landgericht München I (Munich I Regional Court: December 16, 2025 ip fray article). Meanwhile, Aiko filed a counterclaim in the UPC’s Düsseldorf LD in October 2024 (UPC_CFI_607/2024). Both the infringement action and the counterclaim for revocation action were heard in December. On January 23, 2026 a decision was postponed due to “an unusual accumulation of urgent matters and oral hearings”.

What’s new: The companies have settled their disputes across all venues, a UPC procedural published yesterday (full order below the box) confirms. Maxeon announced last week that Aiko has agreed to pay $238 million to resolve the litigation through a licensing deal, which will grant the latter access to all of Maxeon’s existing solar back contact cells and components and those produced in the next five years outside of the U.S., not involving reverse licensing (February 6, 2026 Maxeon press release). Aiko will pay the fee in installments over the next five years.

Direct impact and wider ramifications: Both companies saw their shares surge by 10% the day the deal was announced. While Maxeon said the agreement will allow it to collaborate with its industry partners to jointly build a BC battery technology ecosystem and strengthen its market position, Aiko noted that together the two businessed will now be able to build a more stable and comprehensive patent protection barrier for their BC battery technology.