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Hesai Named Global Leader in LiDAR Patents by KnowMade

In an impressive display of technological prowess, Hesai Technology has been recognized as the leading company in the global LiDAR space, according to the latest report by KnowMade, a prestigious intellectual property research firm. Released in December 2025, the LiDAR for Automotive Patent Landscape Analysis 2025 highlights Hesai's dominance in patent holdings and overall patent strength, situating it ahead of competitors like Bosch and Waymo in the automotive sector.

Dominance in Patent Holdings

From 2021 through 2025, Hesai has maintained a commanding lead in the total number of LiDAR patents, effectively creating a robust, multi-national patent network that spans critical technologies, including LiDAR ASICs, optical systems, signal processing, and functional safety. By November 2025, the company had amassed 2,071 granted patents and pending applications, the highest count in the LiDAR industry across automotive and robotics sectors worldwide.

An Extensive Patent Portfolio

Hesai's patent activities since July 2021 have been remarkable, filing more than 920 patent applications and establishing 558 patent families, including around 400 new invention patents. This extensive portfolio signifies not just quantity but a comprehensive vision underpinned by two main strategies. The first strategy focuses on creating a worldwide patent protection network that leverages various international mechanisms, such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the U.S. patent system, and the European patent framework. Secondly, the patents encompass the entire LiDAR value chain, from emission and reception technologies to system integration, securing leading positions in anti-interference, 1550nm technology, MEMS, metasurfaces, and AI applications. This holistic approach not only advances Hesai's technological capabilities but also fortifies its competitive stance globally.

Leadership in Anti-Interference Technologies

With a strong emphasis on safety, the report acknowledges Hesai as the industry leader in anti-interference technologies, holding a notable 33 anti-interference patent families. These innovations are vital for reliable LiDAR performance in complex real-world settings. Hesai's Intelligent Processing Engine (IPE) augments performance with ultra-fast sampling at 24.6 billion times per second, effectively filtering out over 99.9% of environmental noise. This capability ensures high perception accuracy, even in challenging conditions, paving the way for reliable all-weather sensing.

Additionally, the introduction of the Addressable Photon Isolation (API) technology further enhances safety and detection reliability, providing independent control over each laser transmit and receive channel to ensure precision under adverse weather conditions.

In-House Innovations Leading the Way

Notably, Hesai also stands at the forefront globally in patent holdings across three core LiDAR components: SPAD/SiPM detectors, VCSEL emitters, and APD detectors. Their patent portfolio in the SPAD/SiPM segment alone is staggering, being twice the size of the next competitor's, which is Bosch, and up to forty times larger compared to other players in the industry.

Spanning four generations of ASIC platform development, Hesai has achieved a unique milestone as the only company in the LiDAR domain to develop all seven core components in-house, which include the laser transmitter, receiver, driver, TIA, ADC, digital signal processor, and controller. The company has delivered 185 million units of its automotive-qualification ASICs, positioning itself as the top performer globally in the LiDAR market.

Patent Strength and Industry Achievements

Hesai's leadership extends not only in the number of patents but also in