Xinova
In 2016, I co-founded my second AI-powered start-up, Xinova, aglobal innovation marketplace designed to connect enterprises with a worldwide network of inventors, scientists, and investors. Built to transform the traditional IP brokerage model, Xinova leveraged machine learning to match breakthrough ideas with corporate challenges, streamline contracting through smart agreements, and accelerate time-to-market with pre-vetted IP and venture funding.
Serving industry leaders such as Pepsi, Honda, Samsung, Siemens, and Airbus, the platform scaled to more than 12,000 inventors across 118 countries—leading to the creation of a number of start-ups with Pepsi, Arcnet, etc.
Challenge
Traditional IP brokerages and innovation networks often struggled with inefficiency, fragmented workflows, and long development cycles. Enterprises needed:
Faster access to vetted intellectual property and inventor networks.
Reduced risk in pursuing breakthrough innovation.
Scalable models to convert ideas into viable business opportunities.
At the same time, inventors and scientists needed clear pathways to funding, corporate partnerships, and market access.
Solution
Xinova was designed as a four-sided innovation marketplace connecting Talent, Technology, Capital, and Market.
Key innovations included:
AI-driven matchmaking between enterprises and global inventor networks.
Pre-vetted IP assets to reduce time-to-market.
AI-powered contract management to streamline agreements and collaboration.
Capital marketplace (Arcnet), launched with Asymmetric Return Capital, to support innovation investors.
Joint ventures, such as SousZen with PepsiCo, combining supply chain expertise and smart appliance technology to disrupt mobile food services.
The result was a rationalized, innovation-as-a-service platform—a shift from passive IP brokerage to proactive product co-creation.
Results
We successfully demonstrate market-fit, successfully delivering innovations from the network that addressed customer pain points. Include two spinning out two start-ups with private equity funding.
230% increase in membership within six months.
42% increase in conversion (RFI to submission).
60% reduction in submission-to-selection time.
56.8% increase in overall network activity.
Scaled network to 12,000 inventors across 118 countries.
Established sustained revenue streams via licensing, upfront payments, and profit-sharing agreements.
Although external market conditions eventually impacted continued operations, Xinova demonstrated how AI-driven innovation networks could scale globally and deliver repeatable ROI.
My Role
As a key leader, I was responsible for transforming Xinova into a scalable, design-led innovation platform:
Product & Strategy
Defined and drove product vision, roadmap, and requirements.
Standardized workflows and prototyping, reducing innovation cycles by 60%.
Designed and launched personalized portals for customers, members, investors, and partners.
Built a comprehensive design system, solution review tools, and smart contract workflows.
Business Development & Growth
Delivered a 230% membership increase and significant engagement improvements.
Led M&A initiatives, focusing on network expansion.
Launched Arcnet, an online capital marketplace.
Co-created SousZen, a joint venture with PepsiCo.
Organizational Leadership
Established product management, UX design, and user research functions.
Partnered with engineering and HR to scale a distributed development organization from inception to 30+ employees in 12 months.
What is a Four-Sided Innovation Marketplace?
Xinova’s AI-powered, four-sided marketplace combined Talent, Technology, Capital, and Market. By aligning real-time insights, vetted ideas, capital, and IP, the platform transformed how new solutions were discovered, funded, and commercialized—turning dormant assets into scalable business value.
Customers
The Project Dashboard gave customers real-time visibility into project performance, network engagement, and challenge viability. A “Battleship” graph flagged ineffective solution paths, cutting wasted R&D spend. Every vetted solution came with a market analysis, technical review, and innovator credentials, ensuring only high-potential ideas advanced. This streamlined process not only improved innovation outcomes but also opened doors to third-party investment opportunities.
Innovators
For innovators, the platform maximized earning potential and efficiency. Tailored experiences matched projects to each member’s skills, interests, and track record. Real-time updates, collaborator matching, and threaded project discussions kept engagement high and solutions aligned. Even unselected ideas were stored in a Solution Library, extending exposure to future customers and investors. This ecosystem empowered innovators to contribute strategically and grow their impact across industries.
Investors
Investors accessed a data-rich innovation portfolio with performance metrics, opportunity sizing, and project stage visibility. Personalized recommendations surfaced projects aligned with their past investments, sectors, and interests. Tools like burn-down charts, trend analyses, and curated reports enabled smarter decision-making. Deep search, filtering, and network algorithms connected investors with peers for strategic co-investments, driving better capital allocation and faster commercialization.
Technology Owners
For technology owners, the marketplace unlocked new revenue streams from dormant IP portfolios. By connecting with investors and enterprises, they could pursue licensing, spinouts, or co-development opportunities based on market demand. Advanced analytics—like trend mapping and solution benchmarking—helped prioritize and position assets for maximum impact. With transparent tracking and structured collaboration, the platform transformed static patents into dynamic, revenue-generating opportunities.
The Four-Sided Innovation Marketplace brought together customers, innovators, investors, and IP owners to accelerate the development and commercialization of breakthrough solutions. By aligning talent, technology, capital, and market demand through a unified platform, it enabled real-time collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and new revenue opportunities—turning ideas and patents into viable, scalable ventures.