In a recent interview with Investorideas.com, Mansour Khitab, CEO of GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK:GTCH), explained how his company pivoted from its former strategy to focusing on Research & Development efforts to amass a portfolio of Intellectual Property (IP). According to a recent press release, this comprises “patents, trade secrets, and prototypes,” notably in 3D Microchip Design (semiconductors), and also tracking, EDA (Electronic Design Automation) Software Tools, cybersecurity, telehealth, AI, computer vision, IoT, and more.
Khatib explained how GBT’s initial aim was to develop its own chip. “The company originally started in 2016 under a different name, Gopher Protocol, and at that time the goal was to develop “Gopher Insight” – a communication chip for telephones,” he said. However, following legal issues in 2019 and 2020, a name change to GBT Technologies, Inc., and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company felt the need to change course.
“We couldn’t even raise money anymore at that stage, our CEO (along with several board members) left the company and we were left with a skeleton crew,” he said. “So, I took over as CEO at that point.” Khatib explained that the company’s strengths lay in its ability to generate patents, more so than having to raise money to develop chips as projects themselves. A particular patent that received interest from other companies was GBT’s 3D, Multi-Planar IC design and manufacturing technology. “We had some positive feedback from the industry and there were some big companies wanting to inquire about the 3D chip,” he said. “And so, after looking at all this, Danny and I decided to … put our work where the business is. We analyzed different fast-growing areas: microchips, EDA (the microchip design area), and AI.”
“By the end of 2020 we had decided we were turning this company around into an IP company, and that we would concentrate on patents in specific areas.” Khatib indicated the success of GBT’s Intellectual Property portfolio so far, and how it has already exceeded its early projections for the year. “In 2020 we had two patents,” he said. “I had set a goal that by the end of 2023 we would have around 20 patents approved. What really happened was that in December (2022), we already had 10 patents approved, and 26 pending. That means – and so far we have a really good track record of turning our submissions into IP – in my eyes we’re already at 36 by the end of the year.” With GBT’s particular focus on microchip and EDA patents, they may be positioning themselves well for the aforementioned trends in the IC space.