Company Description
Netlist, Inc. (NLST) is a company in the semiconductor and related device manufacturing industry. According to its public communications, Netlist describes itself as a leading innovator in advanced memory and storage solutions, with a rich portfolio of patented technologies. The company states that its inventions are foundational to the advancement of AI computing and, in some disclosures, to the advancement of AI that is revolutionizing computing.
Netlist’s business is closely tied to advanced memory technologies, including DDR5 memory modules and high-bandwidth memory (HBM). In multiple press releases, Netlist highlights patents that read on DDR5 memory modules such as DDR5 RDIMM, UDIMM, SODIMM, MRDIMM, and on HBM. The company emphasizes that it has pioneered innovations in advanced memory technologies since its founding in 2000, and that its intellectual property has been adopted in DDR5 memory modules used in servers and PCs.
Netlist’s public statements also show that it actively develops and protects its intellectual property (IP). The company has obtained U.S. patents such as U.S. Patent Nos. 10,268,608 and 10,217,523, which it has asserted in litigation and in a complaint before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) against companies including Samsung, Google and Super Micro. Netlist reports that these patents, and others such as U.S. Patent No. 12,373,366 directed to “Memory with On-Module Power Management,” relate to its innovations in power management circuitry and DDR5 memory technologies.
In its own descriptions, Netlist links its memory and storage solutions to AI and data center applications. The company has stated that demand for DDR5 memory modules for AI and data centers has contributed to revenue performance in certain periods. Across several press releases, Netlist reiterates that its patented technologies are foundational to AI computing and that it is positioned to participate in the transition to next-generation memory, including DDR5 and HBM.
Business activities and revenue-related disclosures
Netlist’s press releases on quarterly results provide insight into its operating activities. The company reports net sales, cost of sales, gross profit, research and development expenses, intellectual property legal fees, and selling, general and administrative expenses. These disclosures indicate that Netlist invests in research and development and incurs significant intellectual property legal fees, reflecting both technology development and enforcement of its patent portfolio.
In its second and third quarter 2025 results announcements, Netlist notes that revenue performance was influenced by demand for DDR5 memory modules and that operating expenses, including IP legal fees, are a meaningful component of its cost structure. The company also reports net losses and stock-based compensation expenses, along with balance sheet items such as cash, restricted cash, inventories, accounts receivable, and working capital deficit. These financial disclosures illustrate that Netlist combines technology operations with ongoing legal and IP-related activities.
Intellectual property enforcement and legal actions
A distinctive aspect of Netlist’s profile, based on its own news releases and SEC filings, is its extensive use of patent litigation and ITC proceedings to enforce its intellectual property. The company has:
- Filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking exclusion and cease and desist orders targeting certain Samsung memory products alleged to infringe six Netlist patents, including patents that read on DDR5 memory modules and HBM.
- Announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions upholding the validity of certain Netlist patents, including the ’608 and ’523 patents, in inter partes review proceedings.
- Reported that it has filed additional patent infringement actions in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Samsung and Micron, and their distributor Avnet, Inc., based on alleged infringement of a newly issued DDR5-related patent.
Netlist’s communications also reference jury verdicts awarding damages for willful infringement of its patents by Samsung and Micron over a multi-year period, as well as an order finalizing a damages award against Micron. These statements underscore the company’s focus on asserting and defending its patent rights as part of its overall activity in the memory and storage domain.
Capital markets and corporate actions
Netlist’s SEC filings and press releases show that its common stock trades under the symbol NLST, and that the company’s common stock, with par value $0.001 per share, is not listed on a national securities exchange under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act, as indicated by recent Form 8-K filings listing “None” under the exchange column. The company reports that its shares trade on the OTCQB market in multiple press releases.
Netlist has used registered offerings and warrants to raise capital. In October 2025, the company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement for a registered direct offering of shares of common stock and accompanying common stock purchase warrants, with gross proceeds described as approximately $10 million. An associated Form 8-K details the terms of the offering, including the number of shares and warrants, exercise price, term of the warrants, placement agency agreement with Roth Capital Partners, and related lock-up agreements and warrant amendments.
In an amended Form 8-K filed in September 2025, Netlist reports that its stockholders approved an increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock from 450,000,000 to 675,000,000 through a Certificate of Amendment to its Restated Certificate of Incorporation. The same filing notes the approval of the Netlist, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan and provides voting results from the company’s annual meeting of stockholders.
Governance and shareholder matters
Through its SEC filings, Netlist discloses information about its corporate governance and shareholder approvals. The company has reported:
- Election of directors to its Board of Directors at its annual meeting of stockholders.
- Stockholder approval of the appointment of an independent registered public accounting firm for a specified fiscal year.
- Advisory votes on executive compensation and on the frequency of such advisory votes, with the Board determining a multi-year frequency for future votes.
- Approval of an equity incentive plan intended to govern equity-based compensation.
These disclosures provide context on how Netlist manages its capital structure, equity compensation, and shareholder engagement.
Regulatory and public interest aspects
Netlist’s ITC action against Samsung, Google and Super Micro has attracted attention from U.S. government agencies. The company reports that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) filed a joint public interest comment in connection with Netlist’s ITC complaint. In Netlist’s description of this filing, the company notes that the agencies expressed a view that the public interest favors robust, predictable enforcement of valid patent rights, particularly at the border.
Netlist also emphasizes that ITC investigations proceed on an expedited basis and that the agency investigates alleged unfair acts in import trade that violate U.S. intellectual property rights. By highlighting these aspects, Netlist underscores the role of regulatory processes in its efforts to enforce its patents against imported memory products.
Company characterization from its own disclosures
Across its press releases, Netlist consistently characterizes itself as an innovator in advanced memory and storage solutions with a focus on technologies that support AI computing. It points to a “rich portfolio of patented technologies” and to patents covering DDR5 memory modules and HBM. The company also notes that it has been active in developing and expanding its patent portfolio, including newly issued patents directed to memory with on-module power management.
At the same time, Netlist’s financial disclosures show that it operates with net sales of memory-related products, invests in research and development, and incurs significant legal expenses related to intellectual property. The combination of technology development, product-related revenue, and IP enforcement activities forms the core of the company’s profile as presented in its own public statements and regulatory filings.
FAQs about Netlist, Inc. (NLST)
- What does Netlist, Inc. do?
Netlist, Inc. describes itself as a company focused on advanced memory and storage solutions. It states that it holds a rich portfolio of patented technologies that are foundational to the advancement of AI computing, with patents that read on DDR5 memory modules and high-bandwidth memory. - In which industry does Netlist operate?
Netlist operates in the semiconductor and related device manufacturing industry. Its public communications emphasize advanced memory and storage technologies, including DDR5 memory modules and related circuitry. - How does Netlist describe its role in AI computing?
Netlist states in its press releases that its inventions are foundational to the advancement of AI computing, and in some disclosures that they are foundational to the advancement of AI which is revolutionizing computing. The company links demand for DDR5 memory modules for AI and data centers to its business performance. - What types of technologies are covered by Netlist’s patents?
Netlist reports patents that read on DDR5 memory modules, including DDR5 RDIMM, UDIMM, SODIMM, MRDIMM, and on high-bandwidth memory (HBM). It also highlights a patent titled “Memory with On-Module Power Management,” which it describes as directed to innovations in power management circuitry adopted in DDR5 memory modules. - How does Netlist approach intellectual property enforcement?
According to its own announcements, Netlist actively enforces its patents through litigation and proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission. It has filed ITC complaints seeking exclusion and cease and desist orders against certain Samsung memory products and has pursued patent infringement actions in U.S. district courts against companies such as Samsung and Micron. - Where does Netlist’s stock trade and what is its symbol?
Netlist’s common stock trades under the symbol NLST. Recent SEC filings list the trading symbol as NLST and indicate that there is no exchange registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, while multiple press releases describe the stock as trading on the OTCQB market. - What capital-raising activities has Netlist disclosed?
In October 2025, Netlist disclosed a registered direct offering of common stock and accompanying common stock purchase warrants, with gross proceeds described as approximately $10 million. The company filed a Form 8-K describing the Securities Purchase Agreement, the terms of the warrants, the placement agency agreement, and related lock-up and amendment agreements. - What corporate governance actions have Netlist’s stockholders approved?
Netlist’s amended Form 8-K from September 2025 reports that stockholders approved an increase in authorized common shares from 450,000,000 to 675,000,000, the adoption of the Netlist, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan, the election of directors, the appointment of an independent registered public accounting firm for a specified fiscal year, and advisory votes on executive compensation and the frequency of such votes. - How does Netlist describe its history in memory technology?
In a press release announcing an ITC filing, Netlist states that since its founding in 2000 it has pioneered innovations in advanced memory technologies. The company links this history to its current patent portfolio and enforcement activities related to DDR5 and HBM technologies. - What role do legal and IP-related expenses play in Netlist’s operations?
Netlist’s quarterly results press releases report intellectual property legal fees as a separate operating expense line item, alongside research and development and selling, general and administrative expenses. This indicates that legal and IP-related costs are a significant and disclosed part of its operating structure.