Hilco Streambank, a market-leading advisory firm specializing in the monetization of intangible assets, has officially confirmed that it is seeking offers geared towards acquiring the intellectual property and related intangible assets of Nikola Corporation, a pioneer in hydrogen fuel cell and battery-electric vehicle technologies.
For better understanding, initiated back in 2015, Nikola effectively led the development of its proprietary technology, which was focused on supporting the next generation of zero-emission vehicles and associated hydrogen infrastructure. The company, in that respect, would go on to manufacture both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 trucks, with nearly 330 units delivered till date.
Markedly enough, each one of Nikola’s vehicle-to-cloud digital ecosystem and hydrogen refueling systems are supported by a rather diverse portfolio of differentiated IP assets, boasting broad application across clean mobility and energy markets.
“Nikola has developed a robust portfolio of innovative solutions across hydrogen and battery-electric vehicle technologies, with global brand equity and a strategic patent portfolio cited by leading OEMs,” said David Peress, Executive Vice President of Hilco Streambank
As for the assets that are understood to be available on the buying block, the stated assortment begins from a full-stack vehicle-to-cloud software platform, which is seemingly well-equipped to support advanced diagnostics, remote configuration, route analytics, and encrypted fleet management.
Next up, we have Nikola’s lineup of active U.S. & international patents and applications coming into play. These patents, on their part, cover fuel cell systems, battery management, thermal systems, EV drivetrain design, hydrogen refueling, and more.
Alongside that, potential buyers can also present a financial package for the company’s registered U.S. & international trademarks & domain names. By procuring these trademarks and domain names, they can very well enjoy the perks that come with having control over the globally recognized NIKOLA® brand.
Rounding up highlights would be the availability of 5 Million+ miles of real-world EV truck analytics. The analytics in question are tasked with the all-important responsibility of enabling insight-rich optimization of commercial fleet operations.
Among other things, we ought to acknowledge that this fire sale from Nikola delivers a follow-up to its decision to file for bankruptcy. As a result, sale of the company’s intangible assets and Hilco Streambank’s retention remains subject to bankruptcy court approval
Founded in 2011, Hilco Streambank’s rise up the ranks stems from specializing in intellectual property valuation, advisory, and monetization. The company has, thus far, successfully completed numerous transactions, including sales in publicly reported transactions, private transactions, and online sales through IPv4.Global.
In case you weren’t aware, Hilco Streambank is actually a part of Hilco Global, the world’s leading authority on maximizing the value of business assets. The scale of this parent company can also be understood once you consider it operates more than twenty specialized business units, offering services that include asset valuation and appraisal, retail and industrial inventory acquisition and disposition, real estate, and strategic capital equity investments.
“This portfolio offers a compelling range of opportunities for a broad spectrum of buyers including vehicle OEMs looking to accelerate hydrogen or battery-electric programs, energy companies pursuing vertical integration, or technology investors seeking a defensible and scalable platform in the software-defined vehicle space, this offering delivers the tools to support rapid innovation, market entry, and strategic differentiation,” said Peress
