Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group International is investing $100M in multiple Miami-based startups, and patents may be a factor in its decisions. The latest recipient of a portion of SoftBank’s Opportunity Fund is Eight Sleep, which makes temperature control products for better sleep. The company had raised over $75M before this new announcement and has 28 patent assets. Its IP portfolio is largely focused on environmental control, although recent patents have covered sensors and signal analysis — key for Eight Sleep’s smart mattress, which was launched in 2019. The deal comes with strings attached: Eight Sleep must relocate to Miami to take advantage of the funding.

As of April 2021, Eight Sleep has the second most patent assets in environmental control after Philips, which we recently reported is partnering with a mattress company to develop new products. SoftBank is making a smart move by choosing a company with a solid patent portfolio. Patent Forecast® expects to see more investment and future M&A in Consumer Sleep. You can follow movement in the sector to get the best deals first on the Consumer Sleep Patent Forecast®.