150 Types of Unusual Investments – The List

73. Licensing – by licensing a brand name, trademark, or other intellectual property, the IP owner can receive an upfront fee or an income stream without putting up capital.

Licensing can also be a way to turn a product that is a commodity into something unique.  So instead of a generic football t-shirt, you could sell a t-shirt with a popular college team name on it, for instance.

Licensing touches a variety of different industries from software to hotels to sports wear, as well as many less obvious ones.

Sometimes an investor will buy an old brand and try to revive it as a retro, throwback brand with many license opportunities.