Unicorn: Dropbox

The next Unicorn that I'll be discussing is Dropbox. Dropbox is a file hosting service that offers "cloud storage, file synchronization, personal cloud, and client software." It was founded by MIT alums, Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi in 2007. Their software allows users to create a special folder on their computers, which Dropbox then synchronizes so that it appears to be the same folder (with the same contents) regardless of which device is used to view it. So no matter if they’re on their phone app, their computer, someone else's computer, they can access all of the files they need instantly. I for one use this software a lot for photo sharing with friends or as a form of an external hardrive for documents I can't lose. 

As of now, Dropbox is valued at $10billion with an IP patent portfolio list longer than my resume. Their most notable patent is US 8825597 B1, Network folder synchronization. This patent details how multiple clients can share and synchronize folders and their contents across a network and have it be the most up-to-date version of that file too. This aspect truly makes Dropbox what it is and is the core reasoning behind its booming popularity. On top of that one, they have patents about “shared content item commenting,” “system and method for group participation in a digital media presentation,” “peer-to-peer synchronization,” (displayed above) and many many more. Plus their client base is even longer; they provide client software for the OS systems Linux, OS X, and Windows NT. And on smartphones such as Android, BlackBerry OS, iOS, and Windows Phone. 

Dropbox definitely has some major competitors in this field however. Companies such as Google with googledrive as well as smaller ones such as 4share and AeroFS are providing the exact same service so it’s hard to differentiate. However, Dropbox is still going strong and has an edge with their patents.