Context: In a podcast interview with ip fray last December, Avanci Vehicle President Laurie Fitzgerald emphasized that the Avanci Vehicle platform would see a lot of movement in 2026 (December 4, 2025 ip fray article), following a successful 2025 that saw it welcome 12 new licensors onboard, as well as several licensees, including Toyota (October 10, 2025 ip fray article) and Dolby (November 18, 2025 ip fray article). The 4G and 5G patent platforms, which offer licenses to the essential cellular technologies used by connected vehicles, together cover more than 250 million connected vehicles worldwide, including over 140 automotive brands across both programs. Almost 70 licensors participate in the 4G program, while 90 participate in the 5G program.
What’s new: Avanci has now signed 10 licensing agreements with seven automakers headquartered in China across its 4G and 5G vehicle programs, the company announced today. While those licensees remain unnamed, Avanci has noted that it is working with them to make public announcements. It also noted that some of them include China’s largest automakers and exporters.
Direct impact: This brings the total number of connected vehicles covered by Avanci Vehicle to over 275 million. These agreements reflect continued momentum in one of the most important and fast-growing segments of the global automotive industry. The company says it views it as an “important step forward” and that interested parties can expect additional announcements in the months ahead. It also comes after a so far successful 2026 for Avanci, which announced it hired former Via Licensing Alliance Chief Licensing Officer Jane Bu a couple of weeks ago (March 12, 2026 ip fray article), launched Avanci WiFi, a new licensing platform for standard-essential patents (SEPs) covering the WiFi 6 and (later) WiFi 7 standards earlier this month (March 4, 2026 ip fray article), and signed its first Avanci Video licensee last month (February 5, 2026 ip fray article).
Wider ramifications: This is also significant as it indicates that the automotive industry is taking a different path from companies in the smartphone market, for example. They are taking a more proactive approach to licensing, it seems, avoiding years of fragmented negotiations that led to significant litigation. In the carmaker industry, licensees are engaging earlier, before 5G deployment reaches full scale, supporting a more predictable and efficient model.
In a statement today, Avanci’s Ms. Fitzgerald said that she is “delighted” that seven China-based automakers are now participating in Avanci as licensees, adding:
“More than 150 automotive brands worldwide are participating in at least one of our Vehicle licensing programs, underscoring the value of a predictable, one-stop-shop licensing solution.”
Also today, Quan Jian, Senior Vice President, Licensing at Avanci, stated:
“We are grateful for the recognition and trust these companies have placed in Avanci. We remain committed to working closely with participants across China as the market continues to evolve.”