ACT’s members drive the innovation that powers our digital world. Each month, through our Member Monday series, we showcase these trailblazing small businesses and their cutting-edge achievements.
Behind every smart grid, EV fleet, and connected device is a dedicated team using technical standards to solve everyday problems, big and small. Yet, for startups and small tech companies, utilizing those standards isn’t straightforward. The current standard-essential patent (SEP) licensing system often overwhelms startups with unpredictable costs, opaque processes, and unbalanced negotiations driven by a handful of abusive SEP holders that can use the threat of legal action to pressure smaller companies into unfavorable agreements. While the contractual obligation to license on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms was meant to create more predictability and avoid antitrust violations, in practice, some bad actors regularly violate the agreement and leave startups and innovative enterprises trying to engage with a system that isn’t built for them. And when a small company hits a SEP licensing hurdle, it quickly becomes something investors don’t want to touch. For innovators working across AI, internet of things (IoT), and green tech solutions, that uncertainty shows up in product timelines, feature decisions, and whether they can compete in the first place.
Take a scroll down Membership Lane to meet some of the companies at the forefront of this space, and what’s at stake for them.
Monday, April 6 –Witty Power
Witty Power builds technology that helps electric vehicles use their batteries more efficiently and last longer. Its platform analyzes real-time data to predict range, monitor battery health, and guide smarter charging decisions. They work with EV fleets, including shared scooters and bikes, to improve battery use over time and reduce waste. By supporting longer-lasting batteries and more efficient energy use, Witty Power contributes to a more sustainable electric mobility ecosystem.
Monday, April 13 – GAEC UK
We spotlighted the incredible small tech startups heading to GAEC: UK 2026! These innovative companies are driving the digital economy forward, tackling challenges in AI, cybersecurity, platform competition, privacy, and more, all while navigating an evolving regulatory landscape. This week, they connected directly with policymakers to advocate for fair, innovation-friendly policies that support growth and competition.
Monday, April 20 – Protopia AI
Protopia AI is a privacy-by-design data protection company enabling secure AI factories for enterprises and government. Its Stained Glass Transform™ (SGT) allows organizations to use sensitive data, such as proprietary source code, regulated financial records, healthcare data, and mission-critical defense information, with powerful AI models without exposing that data in plain text to the underlying infrastructure. By transforming data before inference, Protopia enforces zero-trust AI architectures that support secure multitenancy, allowing multiple teams and missions to share high-performance AI infrastructure while maintaining strict data boundaries.
Monday, April 27 –INITIVE
INITIVE is the trusted AI Hub for businesses looking to discover reviewed AI software providers by use case, and business objective. Built for B2B decision-makers, it simplifies AI discovery through a structured and credible environment where companies can compare relevant solutions with greater trust, confidence, and clarity.
That’s all for April!
We’re grateful to spotlight our members building thoughtful, future-focused technology across regions and sectors. If you’d like to connect with our team to be featured in an upcoming Member Monday, reach out to [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you! These Member Monday highlights can also be caught on our social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and Threads. Follow us to stay updated and celebrate the work our members are doing!