Small Business Inventors
by the numbers
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records show 318,000 inventors that work for themselves or a small business obtained patents between the years 1989 and 2019. The below report provides a breakdown by state and Congressional District.
SBA Inventors by State
| State | SBA Inventors |
| Alabama | 2,247 |
| Alaska | 194 |
| Arizona | 4,983 |
| Arkansas | 969 |
| California | 63,471 |
| Colorado | 8,453 |
| Connecticut | 6,038 |
| Delaware | 869 |
| District of Columbia | 501 |
| Florida | 12,439 |
| Georgia | 6,736 |
| Guam | 4 |
| Hawaii | 518 |
| Idaho | 1,470 |
| Illinois | 14,125 |
| Indiana | 5,642 |
| Iowa | 2,288 |
| Kansas | 2,556 |
| Kentucky | 1,896 |
| Louisiana | 1,773 |
| Maine | 923 |
| Maryland | 7,534 |
| Massachusetts | 19,193 |
| Michigan | 11,015 |
| Minnesota | 9,522 |
| Mississippi | 590 |
| Missouri | 4,357 |
| Montana | 772 |
| Nebraska | 1,153 |
| Nevada | 1,812 |
| New Hampshire | 2,697 |
| New Jersey | 11,074 |
| New Mexico | 1,800 |
| New York | 19,300 |
| North Carolina | 6,502 |
| North Dakota | 445 |
| Ohio | 12,755 |
| Oklahoma | 2,303 |
| Oregon | 4,840 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,212 |
| Puerto Rico | 92 |
| Rhode Island | 1,563 |
| South Carolina | 1,965 |
| South Dakota | 473 |
| Tennessee | 3,825 |
| Texas | 17,492 |
| Utah | 4,701 |
| Vermont | 981 |
| Virgin Islands | 10 |
| Virginia | 6,028 |
| Washington | 8,945 |
| West Virginia | 486 |
| Wisconsin | 8,771 |
| Wyoming | 438 |
SBA Inventors by Congressional District
| Congressional District | SBA Inventors |
| Alabama’s 1st | 169 |
| Alabama’s 2nd | 139 |
| Alabama’s 3rd | 240 |
| Alabama’s 4th | 192 |
| Alabama’s 5th | 651 |
| Alabama’s 6th | 652 |
| Alabama’s 7th | 176 |
| Alaska | 159 |
| Arizona’s 1st | 295 |
| Arizona’s 2nd | 533 |
| Arizona’s 3rd | 607 |
| Arizona’s 4th | 164 |
| Arizona’s 5th | 420 |
| Arizona’s 6th | 1,069 |
| Arizona’s 7th | 167 |
| Arizona’s 8th | 634 |
| Arizona’s 9th | 1,005 |
| Arkansas’s 1st | 180 |
| Arkansas’s 2nd | 239 |
| Arkansas’s 3rd | 361 |
| Arkansas’s 4th | 164 |
| California’s 1st | 449 |
| California’s 2nd | 1,399 |
| California’s 3rd | 541 |
| California’s 4th | 512 |
| California’s 5th | 595 |
| California’s 6th | 111 |
| California’s 7th | 355 |
| California’s 8th | 258 |
| California’s 9th | 225 |
| California’s 10th | 306 |
| California’s 11th | 1,438 |
| California’s 12th | 2,997 |
| California’s 13th | 1,729 |
| California’s 14th | 2,726 |
| California’s 15th | 2,470 |
| California’s 16th | 85 |
| California’s 17th | 4,199 |
| California’s 18th | 7,235 |
| California’s 19th | 3,423 |
| California’s 20th | 656 |
| California’s 21st | 46 |
| California’s 22nd | 217 |
| California’s 23rd | 247 |
| California’s 24th | 1,486 |
| California’s 25th | 638 |
| California’s 26th | 994 |
| California’s 27th | 1,170 |
| California’s 28th | 787 |
| California’s 29th | 177 |
| California’s 30th | 1,174 |
| California’s 31st | 224 |
| California’s 32nd | 493 |
| California’s 33rd | 3,271 |
| California’s 34th | 158 |
| California’s 35th | 232 |
| California’s 36th | 389 |
| California’s 37th | 471 |
| California’s 38th | 361 |
| California’s 39th | 936 |
| California’s 40th | 1,139 |
| California’s 41st | 236 |
| California’s 42nd | 289 |
| California’s 43rd | 432 |
| California’s 44th | 162 |
| California’s 45th | 3,133 |
| California’s 46th | 529 |
| California’s 47th | 629 |
| California’s 48th | 1,329 |
| California’s 49th | 2,435 |
| California’s 50th | 1,432 |
| California’s 51st | 242 |
| California’s 52nd | 4,127 |
| California’s 53rd | 558 |
| Colorado’s 1st | 1,027 |
| Colorado’s 2nd | 3,610 |
| Colorado’s 3rd | 449 |
| Colorado’s 4th | 995 |
| Colorado’s 5th | 629 |
| Colorado’s 6th | 723 |
| Colorado’s 7th | 971 |
| Connecticut’s 1st | 771 |
| Connecticut’s 2nd | 992 |
| Connecticut’s 3rd | 1,312 |
| Connecticut’s 4th | 1,663 |
| Connecticut’s 5th | 1,238 |
| Delaware | 851 |
| Florida’s 1st | 233 |
| Florida’s 2nd | 161 |
| Florida’s 3rd | 602 |
| Florida’s 4th | 454 |
| Florida’s 5th | 161 |
| Florida’s 6th | 354 |
| Florida’s 7th | 816 |
| Florida’s 8th | 896 |
| Florida’s 9th | 176 |
| Florida’s 10th | 257 |
| Florida’s 11th | 146 |
| Florida’s 12th | 387 |
| Florida’s 13th | 792 |
| Florida’s 14th | 549 |
| Florida’s 15th | 259 |
| Florida’s 16th | 596 |
| Florida’s 17th | 231 |
| Florida’s 18th | 684 |
| Florida’s 19th | 445 |
| Florida’s 20th | 416 |
| Florida’s 21st | 553 |
| Florida’s 22nd | 996 |
| Florida’s 23rd | 576 |
| Florida’s 24th | 176 |
| Florida’s 25th | 139 |
| Florida’s 26th | 584 |
| Florida’s 27th | 298 |
| Georgia’s 1st | 150 |
| Georgia’s 2nd | 137 |
| Georgia’s 3rd | 232 |
| Georgia’s 4th | 360 |
| Georgia’s 5th | 574 |
| Georgia’s 6th | 1,226 |
| Georgia’s 7th | 791 |
| Georgia’s 8th | 153 |
| Georgia’s 9th | 405 |
| Georgia’s 10th | 282 |
| Georgia’s 11th | 1,698 |
| Georgia’s 12th | 149 |
| Georgia’s 13th | 240 |
| Georgia’s 14th | 250 |
| Hawaii’s 1st | 135 |
| Hawaii’s 2nd | 227 |
| Idaho’s 1st | 621 |
| Idaho’s 2nd | 824 |
| Illinois’s 1st | 394 |
| Illinois’s 2nd | 296 |
| Illinois’s 3rd | 511 |
| Illinois’s 4th | 302 |
| Illinois’s 5th | 767 |
| Illinois’s 6th | 2,006 |
| Illinois’s 7th | 1,469 |
| Illinois’s 8th | 940 |
| Illinois’s 9th | 1,539 |
| Illinois’s 10th | 1,470 |
| Illinois’s 11th | 808 |
| Illinois’s 12th | 221 |
| Illinois’s 13th | 486 |
| Illinois’s 14th | 1,166 |
| Illinois’s 15th | 295 |
| Illinois’s 16th | 588 |
| Illinois’s 17th | 352 |
| Illinois’s 18th | 303 |
| Indiana’s 1st | 336 |
| Indiana’s 2nd | 757 |
| Indiana’s 3rd | 800 |
| Indiana’s 4th | 1,174 |
| Indiana’s 5th | 794 |
| Indiana’s 6th | 431 |
| Indiana’s 7th | 572 |
| Indiana’s 8th | 275 |
| Indiana’s 9th | 450 |
| Iowa’s 1st | 434 |
| Iowa’s 2nd | 605 |
| Iowa’s 3rd | 478 |
| Iowa’s 4th | 761 |
| Kansas’s 1st | 520 |
| Kansas’s 2nd | 521 |
| Kansas’s 3rd | 948 |
| Kansas’s 4th | 476 |
| Kentucky’s 1st | 171 |
| Kentucky’s 2nd | 167 |
| Kentucky’s 3rd | 559 |
| Kentucky’s 4th | 417 |
| Kentucky’s 5th | 56 |
| Kentucky’s 6th | 510 |
| Louisiana’s 1st | 378 |
| Louisiana’s 2nd | 301 |
| Louisiana’s 3rd | 370 |
| Louisiana’s 4th | 186 |
| Louisiana’s 5th | 158 |
| Louisiana’s 6th | 355 |
| Maine’s 1st | 608 |
| Maine’s 2nd | 285 |
| Maryland’s 1st | 540 |
| Maryland’s 2nd | 387 |
| Maryland’s 3rd | 858 |
| Maryland’s 4th | 516 |
| Maryland’s 5th | 351 |
| Maryland’s 6th | 1,617 |
| Maryland’s 7th | 1,928 |
| Maryland’s 8th | 1,261 |
| Massachusetts’s 1st | 609 |
| Massachusetts’s 2nd | 1,292 |
| Massachusetts’s 3rd | 3,011 |
| Massachusetts’s 4th | 2,545 |
| Massachusetts’s 5th | 4,419 |
| Massachusetts’s 6th | 2,189 |
| Massachusetts’s 7th | 2,576 |
| Massachusetts’s 8th | 1,313 |
| Massachusetts’s 9th | 1,034 |
| Michigan’s 1st | 530 |
| Michigan’s 2nd | 1,047 |
| Michigan’s 3rd | 900 |
| Michigan’s 4th | 533 |
| Michigan’s 5th | 376 |
| Michigan’s 6th | 779 |
| Michigan’s 7th | 1,177 |
| Michigan’s 8th | 1,015 |
| Michigan’s 9th | 1,097 |
| Michigan’s 10th | 547 |
| Michigan’s 11th | 1,238 |
| Michigan’s 12th | 699 |
| Michigan’s 13th | 217 |
| Michigan’s 14th | 677 |
| Minnesota’s 1st | 1,149 |
| Minnesota’s 2nd | 916 |
| Minnesota’s 3rd | 2,265 |
| Minnesota’s 4th | 1,311 |
| Minnesota’s 5th | 1,250 |
| Minnesota’s 6th | 917 |
| Minnesota’s 7th | 502 |
| Minnesota’s 8th | 401 |
| Mississippi’s 1st | 158 |
| Mississippi’s 2nd | 98 |
| Mississippi’s 3rd | 157 |
| Mississippi’s 4th | 166 |
| Missouri’s 1st | 873 |
| Missouri’s 2nd | 896 |
| Missouri’s 3rd | 511 |
| Missouri’s 4th | 324 |
| Missouri’s 5th | 535 |
| Missouri’s 6th | 434 |
| Missouri’s 7th | 374 |
| Missouri’s 8th | 265 |
| Montana | 762 |
| Nebraska’s 1st | 537 |
| Nebraska’s 2nd | 347 |
| Nebraska’s 3rd | 257 |
| Nevada’s 1st | 362 |
| Nevada’s 2nd | 879 |
| Nevada’s 3rd | 397 |
| Nevada’s 4th | 158 |
| New Hampshire’s 1st | 1,045 |
| New Hampshire’s 2nd | 1,608 |
| New Jersey’s 1st | 505 |
| New Jersey’s 2nd | 274 |
| New Jersey’s 3rd | 563 |
| New Jersey’s 4th | 792 |
| New Jersey’s 5th | 1,411 |
| New Jersey’s 6th | 781 |
| New Jersey’s 7th | 1,833 |
| New Jersey’s 8th | 239 |
| New Jersey’s 9th | 664 |
| New Jersey’s 10th | 340 |
| New Jersey’s 11th | 1,574 |
| New Jersey’s 12th | 1,785 |
| New Mexico’s 1st | 973 |
| New Mexico’s 2nd | 271 |
| New Mexico’s 3rd | 535 |
| New York’s 1st | 1,066 |
| New York’s 2nd | 498 |
| New York’s 3rd | 1,371 |
| New York’s 4th | 618 |
| New York’s 5th | 186 |
| New York’s 6th | 326 |
| New York’s 7th | 171 |
| New York’s 8th | 120 |
| New York’s 9th | 711 |
| New York’s 10th | 2,476 |
| New York’s 11th | 196 |
| New York’s 12th | 1,132 |
| New York’s 13th | 246 |
| New York’s 14th | 170 |
| New York’s 15th | 16 |
| New York’s 16th | 634 |
| New York’s 17th | 1,126 |
| New York’s 18th | 816 |
| New York’s 19th | 618 |
| New York’s 20th | 877 |
| New York’s 21st | 321 |
| New York’s 22nd | 592 |
| New York’s 23rd | 1,384 |
| New York’s 24th | 736 |
| New York’s 25th | 1,096 |
| New York’s 26th | 638 |
| New York’s 27th | 1,091 |
| North Carolina’s 1st | 587 |
| North Carolina’s 2nd | 543 |
| North Carolina’s 3rd | 187 |
| North Carolina’s 4th | 1,499 |
| North Carolina’s 5th | 353 |
| North Carolina’s 6th | 425 |
| North Carolina’s 7th | 255 |
| North Carolina’s 8th | 223 |
| North Carolina’s 9th | 415 |
| North Carolina’s 10th | 513 |
| North Carolina’s 11th | 249 |
| North Carolina’s 12th | 626 |
| North Carolina’s 13th | 584 |
| North Dakota | 442 |
| Ohio’s 1st | 1,095 |
| Ohio’s 2nd | 719 |
| Ohio’s 3rd | 283 |
| Ohio’s 4th | 411 |
| Ohio’s 5th | 820 |
| Ohio’s 6th | 315 |
| Ohio’s 7th | 648 |
| Ohio’s 8th | 661 |
| Ohio’s 9th | 584 |
| Ohio’s 10th | 898 |
| Ohio’s 11th | 953 |
| Ohio’s 12th | 1,170 |
| Ohio’s 13th | 593 |
| Ohio’s 14th | 1,782 |
| Ohio’s 15th | 526 |
| Ohio’s 16th | 1,125 |
| Oklahoma’s 1st | 801 |
| Oklahoma’s 2nd | 220 |
| Oklahoma’s 3rd | 391 |
| Oklahoma’s 4th | 393 |
| Oklahoma’s 5th | 475 |
| Oregon’s 1st | 1,361 |
| Oregon’s 2nd | 500 |
| Oregon’s 3rd | 1,218 |
| Oregon’s 4th | 887 |
| Oregon’s 5th | 836 |
| Pennsylvania’s 1st | 1,288 |
| Pennsylvania’s 2nd | 508 |
| Pennsylvania’s 3rd | 252 |
| Pennsylvania’s 4th | 1,477 |
| Pennsylvania’s 5th | 793 |
| Pennsylvania’s 6th | 1,283 |
| Pennsylvania’s 7th | 750 |
| Pennsylvania’s 8th | 248 |
| Pennsylvania’s 9th | 348 |
| Pennsylvania’s 10th | 506 |
| Pennsylvania’s 11th | 628 |
| Pennsylvania’s 12th | 994 |
| Pennsylvania’s 13th | 352 |
| Pennsylvania’s 14th | 482 |
| Pennsylvania’s 15th | 537 |
| Pennsylvania’s 16th | 642 |
| Pennsylvania’s 17th | 846 |
| Pennsylvania’s 18th | 1,079 |
| Rhode Island’s 1st | 628 |
| Rhode Island’s 2nd | 903 |
| South Carolina’s 1st | 343 |
| South Carolina’s 2nd | 235 |
| South Carolina’s 3rd | 337 |
| South Carolina’s 4th | 530 |
| South Carolina’s 5th | 205 |
| South Carolina’s 6th | 156 |
| South Carolina’s 7th | 140 |
| South Dakota | 464 |
| Tennessee’s 1st | 265 |
| Tennessee’s 2nd | 982 |
| Tennessee’s 3rd | 648 |
| Tennessee’s 4th | 201 |
| Tennessee’s 5th | 442 |
| Tennessee’s 6th | 218 |
| Tennessee’s 7th | 264 |
| Tennessee’s 8th | 357 |
| Tennessee’s 9th | 360 |
| Texas’s 1st | 186 |
| Texas’s 2nd | 662 |
| Texas’s 3rd | 1,167 |
| Texas’s 4th | 284 |
| Texas’s 5th | 263 |
| Texas’s 6th | 460 |
| Texas’s 7th | 856 |
| Texas’s 8th | 539 |
| Texas’s 9th | 276 |
| Texas’s 10th | 1,445 |
| Texas’s 11th | 324 |
| Texas’s 12th | 322 |
| Texas’s 13th | 231 |
| Texas’s 14th | 370 |
| Texas’s 15th | 78 |
| Texas’s 16th | 132 |
| Texas’s 17th | 564 |
| Texas’s 18th | 1,508 |
| Texas’s 19th | 327 |
| Texas’s 20th | 477 |
| Texas’s 21st | 573 |
| Texas’s 22nd | 636 |
| Texas’s 23rd | 163 |
| Texas’s 24th | 781 |
| Texas’s 25th | 686 |
| Texas’s 26th | 588 |
| Texas’s 27th | 125 |
| Texas’s 28th | 81 |
| Texas’s 29th | 105 |
| Texas’s 30th | 893 |
| Texas’s 31st | 562 |
| Texas’s 32nd | 952 |
| Texas’s 33rd | 271 |
| Texas’s 34th | 60 |
| Texas’s 35th | 170 |
| Texas’s 36th | 268 |
| Utah’s 1st | 784 |
| Utah’s 2nd | 1,373 |
| Utah’s 3rd | 1,578 |
| Utah’s 4th | 916 |
| Vermont | 951 |
| Virginia’s 1st | 314 |
| Virginia’s 2nd | 487 |
| Virginia’s 3rd | 175 |
| Virginia’s 4th | 429 |
| Virginia’s 5th | 534 |
| Virginia’s 6th | 414 |
| Virginia’s 7th | 251 |
| Virginia’s 8th | 791 |
| Virginia’s 9th | 606 |
| Virginia’s 10th | 931 |
| Virginia’s 11th | 1,028 |
| Washington’s 1st | 1,583 |
| Washington’s 2nd | 627 |
| Washington’s 3rd | 543 |
| Washington’s 4th | 419 |
| Washington’s 5th | 711 |
| Washington’s 6th | 556 |
| Washington’s 7th | 1,305 |
| Washington’s 8th | 1,638 |
| Washington’s 9th | 1,187 |
| Washington’s 10th | 212 |
| West Virginia’s 1st | 207 |
| West Virginia’s 2nd | 146 |
| West Virginia’s 3rd | 131 |
| Wisconsin’s 1st | 941 |
| Wisconsin’s 2nd | 2,622 |
| Wisconsin’s 3rd | 452 |
| Wisconsin’s 4th | 644 |
| Wisconsin’s 5th | 1,677 |
| Wisconsin’s 6th | 1,051 |
| Wisconsin’s 7th | 598 |
| Wisconsin’s 8th | 690 |
| Wyoming | 427 |
Courtesy of US Inventor
US Inventor was founded to support the innovation efforts of the “little guy” inventors, seeking reliable patent rights for developing our inventions, bringing those inventions to a point where they can be commercialized, creating jobs and industries, and promoting continued innovation. In short, we are proponents of “securing for limited times to … inventors the exclusive right to their … discoveries” in order to “promote the progress of Science and Useful arts.” (U.S. Constitution Article I, § 8, Clause 8.) Our broad experience with the patent system, new technologies, and creating companies, gives us a unique perspective on the important issues presented in this appeal.
