Renfroe Innovation, LLC¶
Texas LLC holding the "Bar Management Software" patent family. Parallel to Renfroe Family Holdings, owned by Austin personally — not under RFH.
At a glance¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Renfroe Innovation, LLC |
| Casual / DBA | "RI" |
| Form | Texas LLC, member-managed, single-member |
| Jurisdiction | Texas (since 2025-12-05; AL LLC 2017-07-10 → 2025-12-05; AL Inc. 2010-04-05 → 2017-07-10) |
| Filing # | TX File # 806342204; predecessor AL entity ID 263-897 retained at AL Sec State |
| EIN / TIN | 27-2287462 (issued 2010-04-07; survives across all conversions) |
| Formed | 2010-04-05 (original AL Inc.); current TX LLC effective 2025-12-05 |
| Status | active |
| Tax classification (US) | TBD — confirmed S-corp from 2010-04-06 (Form 2553) through at least 2014; post-2017 AL Inc.→LLC conversion likely defaulted to disregarded SMLLC (no Form 8832 found, no 1120S returns visible 2015+, 2025-12-02 Pearce reference to "minimum TX franchise report" only). Pearce + Kim & Rosado confirmation pending. |
| Owner / members | Austin (Gavon Augustus Renfroe) — 100%, sole member, since 2014-04-01 (Hunter assignment) |
| Manager / officer | Member-managed; Austin sole governing person |
| Registered agent | Gavon Renfroe |
| Registered address | 210 Lavaca St #3101, Austin TX 78701 |
| Operating address | Same as registered |
| Active mandates | Patent 4447-00106 prosecution (§101 OA response); federal-tax-classification confirmation; possible RFH-ownership migration |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-09 (Claude session) |
Status & active mandates¶
- Patent 4447-00106 (S/N 18/407,110) prosecution — Conley Rose / Michael Piper. First Office Action received 2026-04-26, §101 (subject matter eligibility) rejection only, no prior-art cite. 3-month deadline 2026-04-27. Examiner interview scheduled around 4/30 with Conley Rose proposing claim amendments (inventory data store, threshold comparison, automated PO submission). Status post-2026-04-29: not yet captured in mailbox; verify with Piper.
- Federal tax classification confirmation — Pearce Bevill (Robert Cook) + Kim & Rosado (Tony Kim, Peter Chang). Need (a) Form 8832 history, (b) any 1120S returns 2015+, © what classification appears on Austin's 2024 1040 schedules. See
context/renfroe-innovation-scope.md§ 6. - Open: should RFH own RI? Currently parallel; "ease of administration" reasoning behind 2025 AL→TX move suggests Austin may want full stack uniformity. Decision needs Pearce + Kim & Rosado on basis, IP-licensing-income character, IP assignment paperwork. Not yet posed.
Purpose & operations¶
Holds the "Bar Management Software" patent family (Conley Rose matter # 4447), prosecuted continuously since May 2013. Three issued US patents (10,445,672 / 10,445,819 / 11,900,288) plus one application in active prosecution (4447-00106). One US trademark application 2012 (likely abandoned). No active operating business; no bank accounts; no employees. Expenses paid through Renfroe Family Holdings on Austin's behalf and tagged to Renfroe Innovation in Xero (since 2026-04-20).
Timeline of events¶
| Date | Event | Notes / source |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-02-24 | "Renfroe Innovation, Inc." reserved at AL Sec State by Robert E. L. Gilpin | Articles of Incorporation packet, p.1 |
| 2010-04-05 | AL Articles of Incorporation signed by Jana P. Renfroe (incorporator). Initial directors: Eugene + Jana. Authorized: 1,000 Class A voting + 1,000,000 Class B non-voting common, $0.01 par. | Synology Formation/AOI |
| 2010-04-06 | Form 2553 S-election effective date (per 2012 Form 1120S Box A) | Synology Taxes/2012 taxes/2012 return.pdf |
| 2010-04-07 | EIN 27-2287462 issued by IRS | EIN letter |
| 2010-08 | First Dobbs and Associates accounting bill | Synology Bills/ |
| 2012-12 | Trademark "RENFROE INNOVATION" application filed (Balch & Bingham, S/N 85804994, Class 042) | Synology Formation/ |
| 2013-01-09 | Engagement letter with Balch & Bingham (replacing/supplementing Gilpin) | Synology Contracts/ |
| 2013-05-31 | First Conley Rose bill (matter # 4447, Bar Management Software patent family) | Synology Conley Rose Patent Bills/ |
| 2013-07-09 | TM Notice of Allowance issued (no oppositions); SOU window opens | Synology TM/ |
| 2013-07-16 | Provisional patent application 4447-00100 + -00101 filed | Patents/Filings/ |
| 2014-04-01 | Hunter H. Renfroe assigns 500 Class A + 500,000 Class B shares to Austin "in consideration of reimbursement of all cost incurred by and investment made by" Hunter. New aggregated certs 5-A + 3-B issued. Austin becomes sole stockholder (Eugene + Jana 0.05% each remaining; verbal confirmation 2026-05-09 they later assigned to Austin pre-2017 conversion; assignment paperwork not in Synology). | Synology Formation/ |
| 2014-05 | 4447-00102 (full non-provisional) filed | Patents/Filings/ |
| 2015-03-06 | 2014 Form 7004 filed (Form Code 25 = 1120S) extending 2014 federal return to 2015-09-15. Last visible federal-return artifact. | Synology Taxes/RI 2014 Extension.pdf |
| 2015-08–2016 | TM SOU window expires (no SOU on file); TM likely abandoned | absence in Synology TM folder |
| 2017-04-07 | UWC adding "New Officers and Directors" — pre-conversion governance change | Synology RI Transfer/ |
| 2017-07-06 | Austin signs AL Conversion form: Inc. → LLC. New name "Renfroe Innovation, LLC". Registered agent: Gavon Renfroe. AL entity ID 263-897 retained. Likely point of S-election termination by operation of law (no Form 8832 filed). | Synology Formation/ |
| 2017-07-10 | AL Sec State accepts conversion | Same form |
| 2019-06-28 | Notices of Allowance for 4447-00102 + 4447-00104 | Patents/Filings/ |
| 2019-08 | 4447-00105 filed | Patents/Filings/ |
| 2019 onward | At least 3 US patents issued (10,445,672 / 10,445,819 / 11,900,288) | Conley Rose 2026-04-26 mpiper email |
| 2024-01-08 | 4447-00106 (divisional) filed (S/N 18/407,110) | Gmail ([email protected]) |
| 2024-01-22 | Issue Fee paid for 4447-00105 | Gmail |
| 2024-03-12 | e-Grant + Issued Letters Patent for 4447-00105 (likely US Pat. No. 11,900,288) | Gmail |
| 2024-05-03 | 4447-00106 published as US Pub. No. 2024/0144128 | Gmail + Patents/Filings/ |
| 2024-11-13 | BOIR submitted by Peter Chang at Kim & Rosado. Status FILING SUCCESSFUL, BOIR ID 50000007382577. Tax-ID type = SSN-ITIN (anomalous; entity has its own EIN). | Synology Formation/BOIR submission confirmation - Renfroe Innovation.pdf |
| 2025-11-14 | Austin emails Pearce + Kim & Rosado about converting RI to TX LLC ("ease of administration") | RFH inbox |
| 2025-11-17 | USPTO Restriction Requirement on 4447-00106 | RFH inbox |
| 2025-12-02 | Pearce (Robert Cook) clears AL→TX: "no issues on our side for taxes just have to file the minimum TX franchise report" | RFH inbox |
| 2025-12-02 | Austin signs TX SOS Certificate of Conversion (Form 647) + Certificate of Formation (Form 205). Filing fee $300. | Synology Formation/AL to TX Conversion/ |
| 2025-12-05 | TX Sec State accepts conversion. New TX file # 806342204. | TX Cert of Conversion |
| 2025-12-06 | Kim & Rosado (Anthony Kim) confirms federal tax classification carries over under §368(a)(1)(F) "mere change" | RFH inbox |
| 2025-12-17 | Conley Rose files Response to Restriction Requirement on 4447-00106 (1-month EOT) | RFH inbox |
| 2026-04-20 | Xero "Renfroe Innovation" Entity tracking option added (TrackingOptionID be10589d-8694-4e17-a54e-a69e88b7972b); CONLEY ROSE Invoice 726959 ($1,500) re-tagged from RFH to RI in Brex Primary |
RFH inbox + Xero |
| 2026-04-26 | Conley Rose receives First Office Action on 4447-00106 — §101 rejection only, 3-month deadline 2026-04-27 | RFH inbox (mpiper) |
| 2026-04-29 | Austin + mpiper coordinate Examiner interview for 4447-00106; Conley Rose proposes amendment claims | RFH inbox |
| 2026-05-09 | Austin verbal: Eugene + Jana DID assign their 0.05% stakes pre-2017 conversion; paperwork not yet collected | This session |
People¶
Internal (employees, contractors, officers, members)¶
| Name | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin (Gavon Augustus) Renfroe | Sole member; sole governing person; registered agent | active | 100% since 2014-04-01 + Eugene/Jana assignment pre-2017 |
| Hunter H. Renfroe (Austin's brother) | Former Class A + Class B shareholder | former | Assigned all shares to Austin 2014-04-01 |
| Eugene A. Renfroe (Austin's father) | Former 0.05% Class B + initial director | former | Director and minority shareholder pre-2017; assignment to Austin pre-2017 conversion (paperwork TBD) |
| Jana P. Renfroe (Austin's mother) | Former 0.05% Class B + initial director + 2010 incorporator | former | Same as Eugene |
External counterparties¶
| Firm / individual | Role | Mandate / scope | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conley Rose, P.C. — Michael W. Piper (Principal & Firm Counsel; [email protected]; (972) 731-2284) + Jennifer Wiebusch (filing/admin) + [email protected] | IP counsel | Patent matter 4447 (Bar Management Software) — prosecution since 2013-05; currently 4447-00106 active | active |
| Kim & Rosado (Walnut Creek CA) — Anthony "Tony" Kim ([email protected]) + Nicholas Rosado (nick@) + Peter Chang (peter@) | Tax / entity counsel | BOIR 2024-11-13 (Chang); 2025 AL→TX conversion clearance + federal-tax-classification advisor | active |
| Pearce Bevill, Leesburg, Moore P.C. — Robert Cook ([email protected]); Daisy Buck ([email protected]) | Accounting / tax | Cleared AL→TX conversion; not currently preparing separate RI federal return (line is "minimum TX franchise report") | active |
| Robert E. L. Gilpin, Esq. — Kaufman Gilpin McKenzie Thomas Weiss → Gilpin Givhan (Montgomery AL) | Original counsel | 2010 AOI; named attorney-in-fact on 2014 Hunter→Austin assignments. Last visible bill ~2013. | inactive |
| Balch & Bingham LLP (Birmingham AL) — Pamela P. Smith ([email protected]) | Corporate / IP counsel | Replaced Gilpin early 2013; trademark matter 109810-001 + corporate work through ~2019 | inactive (last bill 2019-02-08) |
| Huner & Cyr, P.C. — Philippe Cyr, CPA, CMA (Vestavia Hills AL) | Historical CPA | Filed 2014 Form 7004 (1120S extension) and likely earlier returns. Pre-Pearce era. | inactive |
| Dobbs and Associates | Historical accounting | RI bookkeeping/tax 2010–2012 | inactive (oldest) |
Companies & vendors¶
RI's "vendors" are the same firms listed under External counterparties above; this section is intentionally thin. No recurring trade-vendor activity.
| Vendor | Service | Cadence | Capex / expense | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conley Rose | Patent prosecution | Project / per-action | Expense (R&D / professional fees) | Active matter 4447-00106 |
| USPTO | Filing / issue / maintenance fees | Per-action | Capitalize (patent costs) | Pearce to advise on capitalize-vs-expense splits |
Finances¶
Bank accounts¶
| Institution | Account # / last-4 | Type | Status | Signatories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo | (historical, ~2013) | checking | closed (long since) | Austin | "RI Old Bank Acct Info.pdf" 2013 in Synology Bills/ |
No active bank account today. RI expenses are paid through RFH on Austin's behalf and tagged to RI in Xero with the Entity tracking option.
Credit cards¶
None.
Loans / liabilities¶
None.
Tax accounts & posture¶
- Returns filed: 2012 Form 1120S (Synology password-protected, opened 2026-05-09 with Austin's password); 2014 Form 7004 (extension to 1120S). 2013, 2015–2024 not visible in Synology — either at Pearce / Huner & Cyr or unfiled.
- NOL carryforward: None known at the entity level.
- Tax year-end: Calendar year (12/31).
- Foreign tax credits: n/a.
- Specific elections: Form 2553 effective 2010-04-06 (confirmed via 2012 1120S Box A). Form 8832 — none found; if RI maintained corporate / S-corp status post-2017 conversion, the 8832 would be the documenting filing. Absent it, S-election terminated by operation of law at the 2017-07-10 conversion → defaulted to disregarded SMLLC.
- Open tax positions: federal classification post-2017 (see § Status & active mandates). State: TX franchise tax (minimum report; first due 2026 for 2025 partial-year).
Capital flows (in / out)¶
- Pre-2014: Hunter Renfroe funded RI's early operations (per the 2014 share-assignment recital "in consideration of reimbursement of all cost incurred by and investment made by" Hunter); reimbursement happened in connection with the 2014-04-01 share consolidation to Austin. Quantum not separately documented.
- 2014–2024: Operations funded out of Austin-personal channels (Wells Fargo personal, Amex personal, etc.). Total documented spend across all advisors / firms: ~$151,088 across 91 bookable invoices in the historical ledger. ~$79,203 of that pre-conversion (Inc. era 2010–2017-07), ~$71,885 post-conversion (LLC era 2017-07 onward). Full per-invoice detail:
accounting/renfroe-innovation-historical-ip-spend.md. - 2026-04-20 onward: RFH pays RI expenses on Austin's behalf via Brex Primary; tagged to RI in Xero. Currently $1,500 (Conley Rose Invoice 726959) tagged. Backfill of pre-2026 historical Conley Rose / Balch / Gilpin / Dobbs / Huner & Cyr spend into Xero is TBD per
context/renfroe-innovation-scope.md§ 6.
Real assets¶
| Asset | Description | Carrying value | Market value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pat. 10,445,672 | Bar Management Software family (issued ~2019) | book TBD | not appraised | Conley Rose matter 4447-00102 likely |
| US Pat. 10,445,819 | Bar Management Software family (issued ~2019) | book TBD | not appraised | Conley Rose matter 4447-00104 likely |
| US Pat. 11,900,288 | Bar Management Software family (e-Granted 2024-03-12) | book TBD | not appraised | Conley Rose matter 4447-00105 likely |
| App. 4447-00106 (S/N 18/407,110) | "System and Method for Integrating Business Operations" — divisional, in prosecution | n/a (pending) | n/a | §101 OA received 2026-04-26 |
| TM Serial No. 85804994 ("RENFROE INNOVATION", Class 042) | Filed 2012-12; Notice of Allowance 2013-07-09; SOU window expired 2016-07-09 | n/a | likely abandoned | Verify via TSDR; re-application via Conley Rose if registration desired |
| Incubator concepts (R&D notes only, not patented) | Automated trainer, ski clothes | n/a | n/a | Synology Incubator ideas/ |
Insurance & compliance¶
| Coverage / filing | Carrier / authority | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P&C / liability / D&O | None | n/a | No operating business; no employees; no insurance carried |
| BOIR | FinCEN | filed 2024-11-13 (Peter Chang at Kim & Rosado) | BOIR ID 50000007382577. Tax-ID type = SSN-ITIN (anomalous; review with K&R) |
| TX Franchise Tax | TX Comptroller | first due 2026 for 2025 partial year | Pearce: "minimum TX franchise report" |
| AL Annual Reports / BPT | AL DOR / AL Sec State | last visible artifact = "RI 2021 BPT" in Synology Taxes/. Status post-2025 TX conversion: AL filings should cease at conversion. | Verify with Pearce that AL filings closed cleanly |
| FBAR | FinCEN | n/a | No foreign accounts |
| Annual Report (TX) | TX Sec State | first due 2026 (post-conversion) | n/a — TX LLCs don't file separate annual reports; franchise = annual mechanism |
Intercompany relationships¶
- Funded by: Austin personally (pre-2026); Renfroe Family Holdings via Brex Primary on Austin's behalf (2026-04-20 onward, tagged in Xero).
- Funds: No outflows to other entities.
- Receivables / payables to siblings: None.
- Services rendered to / received from siblings: None. RI sits parallel to RFH; RFH pays RI expenses as a courtesy / cash pool, not as a services-rendered relationship.
Open question: if Austin moves RI under RFH (uniform stack), the relationship structure changes — RFH would own RI, and Austin's basis carries over. This is a tax / IP-assignment decision still pending Pearce + Kim & Rosado.
Open litigation / disputes¶
None.
Documents & records¶
- Synology (
/mnt/synology-cloud/Business/Renfroe Innovation, LLC/): Formation/Articles of Incorporation (00187285).PDFFormation/EIN - IRS Certification Letter (00187283).PDFFormation/Renfroe Innovation Conversion to LLC.pdf(2017 AL Inc.→LLC)Formation/AL to TX Conversion/{Acknowledgment, Certificate, Original_Document}.pdf(2025-12-05)Formation/Stock Certifices A-5 and B-3 - Executed.pdf(Austin's 2014 aggregated certs)Formation/Assignment of Shares by Hunter to Austin.pdf(2014-04-01)Formation/UWC - Austin as Director and Officer - Executed.pdfFormation/BOIR submission confirmation - Renfroe Innovation.pdf(2024-11-13)Patents/Bar Management Software/Filings/(full 4447-00100 through 4447-00106 prosecution history)Conley Rose Patent Bills/(~50 invoices 2013-05 → 2024-06)Bills/(Gilpin Givhan, Dobbs, Balch and Bingham, 2010–2019)Taxes/(ALDOR e-file 2013, RI 2014 Extension, RI 2021 BPT, 2012 taxes folder)- SharePoint: not currently used for RI (no RI SharePoint site discovered in CM/RFH tenant inventories).
- Gmail (
[email protected]): Conley Rose patent prosecution 2014 → 2024-06 (matter 4447, pre-RFH-tenant adoption). Search:FROM "@conleyrose.com". - M365 mailbox
[email protected]: - "Converting Renfroe Innovation to TX LLC from AL LLC" thread, 2025-11-14 → 2025-12-06
- "4447-00106" patent prosecution thread, 2025-11 → 2026-04
- "4447 Conley Rose Invoices" forward, 2026-02-12
- Repo files:
context/renfroe-innovation-scope.md— full scoping doc (380 lines, 2026-05-08)accounting/renfroe-innovation-historical-ip-spend.md— per-invoice spend ledger (191 lines, 2026-05-09)context/entities.md§ Renfroe Innovation, LLC — legacy short-form summary (in flight migration to this file)
Open questions¶
- Federal tax classification post-2017 conversion — Pearce + Kim & Rosado to confirm: (a) Form 8832 history, (b) any 1120S returns 2015+, © what classification appears on Austin's 2024 1040 schedules. (See
context/renfroe-innovation-scope.md§ 6 +todo/for-austin.md.) - TM "RENFROE INNOVATION" registration status — likely abandoned; verify via USPTO TSDR (S/N 85804994) and decide whether to re-file via Conley Rose.
- Eugene + Jana share assignments pre-2017 LLC conversion — Austin verbal-confirmed 2026-05-09 they did assign; signed paperwork not in Synology. Filed as a paperwork-collect item in
todo/for-austin.md. - Operating Agreement — none on file. 2025-12-02 TX Cert of Formation is the substantive governance document. If Austin wants a real OA (capital, distributions, manager-vs-member-managed beyond defaults), it needs to be drafted — relevant if RFH ever owns RI or if a JV / licensing deal puts outside parties on the cap table.
- Should RFH own RI? Currently parallel; Austin's "ease of administration" reasoning behind 2025 AL→TX conversion suggests he may want full stack uniformity. Decision needs Pearce + K&R input on basis, IP-licensing-income character, IP assignment paperwork.
- Past federal returns 2013, 2015–2024 — not visible in Synology; either at Huner & Cyr / Pearce or unfiled. Pearce + Kim & Rosado to clarify.
- 2016 USPTO Final OA on 4447-00102 → Notice of Appeal → withdrawal → 2019 allowance — substantive prosecution history, not load-bearing for tax/legal scope but relevant if Pearce wants to value the IP.
- Backfill in Xero — pre-2026 historical RI spend (~$72K post-conversion era) currently lives on Austin-personal channels, not in Xero. Whether to backfill for entity-level reporting is a presentation choice for Pearce.
Related entities¶
- Parent (if any): None. Owned by Austin personally; RI sits parallel to Renfroe Family Holdings, LLC, not under it.
- Children: None.
- Sibling cross-references: RFH pays RI's current bills (Brex Primary, tagged in Xero with the RI Entity tracking option).
- Out-of-scope cross-references: E.A. Renfroe & Company (RENFROE) — separate S-corp; the Conley Rose matter
4683-00101("AI document consistency analysis") that surfaces in the same mailbox is filed for RENFROE, not RI. Don't conflate.
Revision log¶
| Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-09 | Claude session | Initial population from context/renfroe-innovation-scope.md, accounting/renfroe-innovation-historical-ip-spend.md, context/entities.md, and supporting Synology + M365 + Gmail mining notes. |