An IP Strategy for Power Semiconductors: How FLOSFIA Uses the PCT System to Expand Its Business Globally

Interview with Mr. Toshimi Hitora, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of FLOSFIA Inc., about the company's use of the PCT System. This interview was conducted in February 2026 at the company's headquarters near Kyoto University’s Katsura campus (Kyoto City).

Key points

1. FLOSFIA has built an in-house intellectual property (IP) function and secures the IP rights needed to support its commercialization strategy. This allows it to protect its business while also forming partnerships with world-leading companies and enabling its own revenue model. A global IP portfolio has played a major role in making these possible.
2. FLOSFIA uses the PCT System strategically, with future business development in mind. At the national phase entry stage, it selects the countries relevant to its business, allowing it to obtain rights for essential technologies in the markets where protection is needed.

Could you tell us about your company’s business?

FLOSFIA has placed great importance on IP since its establishment in 2011. It is a deep-tech startup founded to commercialize Kyoto University’s Mist CVD method. The technology was initially expected to be used for water filtration. Today, however, the company is exploring the use of gallium oxide as an alternative to silicon in power semiconductors. Gallium oxide power semiconductors can reduce energy loss by as much as half compared with silicon-based devices, while also enabling lower-cost manufacturing with a reduced environmental impact.

As our IP portfolio has expanded, we have continued filing patent applications alongside the development of our business. To date, we have filed more than 800 patent applications.

A common model for commercializing university-developed technology is to manufacture and sell equipment or to transfer the technology to another company. Some overseas startups, however, handle the entire production process themselves and become industry leaders by continuously improving quality.

FLOSFIA has adopted a similar approach. We have built-up a large number of IP rights, formed a comprehensive patent portfolio, and developed our business on that basis. We are advancing commercialization through partnerships with many world-leading companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and DENSO, and have also succeeded in monetizing our technologies through a unique business model that we call the 'joint model business.' This is premised on FLOSFIA's strong position in its business domain and its global IP portfolio.

What is your policy regarding the acquisition of IP rights?

In the early stages of the company, we relied on patent firms to prepare and file our applications. However, it was difficult for external firms to fully understand our overall strategy, and the costs were also significant. We therefore established an in-house IP department and moved toward handling the work internally. By preparing our own patent maps, monitoring technological trends, and developing our filing strategy in-house, we have been able to file applications more quickly.

We first distinguish the areas that should be kept confidential as know-how, and then actively file patent applications. After filing, through the examination process, we remain conscious of strengthening the portfolio in the priority areas defined internally.

How does your company use the PCT System, and how do you evaluate it?

By preparing and filing applications in-house, we have been able to reduce costs and make decisions more quickly. We believe that we are using the PCT System effectively. We make effective use of International Search Reports (ISRs) internally to assess technological trends and the prospects of obtaining patent protection. By incorporating PCT-related costs into our annual budget in advance, we are able to file applications in a planned and strategic manner.

We also appreciate the fact that fee reductions for startups can now be used at the time of filing.

Our decisions on national phase entry and the selection of foreign jurisdictions are based on our business model and the size of the relevant markets. As a general rule, we enter the national phase in the United States and China. Depending on the particular case, we may also select Europe. We focus on markets where economies of scale can be achieved. In deep-tech fields like ours, the future competitive environment for both technology and business is often uncertain. We therefore make active use of the PCT System to defer decisions on claim scope and national phase entry countries.

How do you develop IP professionals within the company?

From the outset, we had a clear vision of the IP function we wanted to establish and developed our internal structure accordingly. Unlike startups in the United States, we do not have the same capacity to raise large amounts of funding. Relying on external service providers would therefore impose a substantial burden in terms of both costs and staff time. This was one of the reasons we sought to bring IP work in-house, and the IP function is now firmly established within the company.

In the IP department, mid-career professionals with previous IP experience play a central role.

One of FLOSFIA’s distinguishing features is the strong interest that its management, myself included, takes in IP. The company is also willing to proactively invest in IP protection. We believe that by filing patent applications at an early stage and building a portfolio that includes rights in overseas markets, we can maintain our position as a rights holder, including in relation to patent applications filed by other companies.