Acurast
Category: AI Infrastructure
Acurast is a decentralized compute network that transforms smartphones into secure, verifiable compute nodes, enabling confidential and tamper-proof computation without relying on centralized servers. Acurast was founded in 2022. The company is led by Alessandro De Carli. Based in Zug, Switzerland. Team size: 10-50. Total funding raised: $11 million. Latest round: Crowdfunding. Key investors include Gavin Wood (Ethereum co-founder), HV Capital, Sigma Capital, Scytale Digital, Peaq, MN Capital, Tezos Foundation, Leonard Dörlochter (Peaq founder), Michael van de Poppe (MN Capital), Ogle (GlueNet founder).
- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- Zug, Switzerland
- Team size
- 10-50
- Total funding
- $11 million
Value proposition
Eliminates centralized cloud dependencies by leveraging global smartphone hardware for scalable, secure, and cost-effective computation
Products and solutions
Decentralized Compute Network, $ACU Token (utility token for staking and transactions), Smartphone Node Incentive Program, Confidential Computing APIs, Staked Compute Protocol
Unique value
Leverages smartphone hardware (e.g., Google Tensor chips) for decentralized computation, enabling secure, verifiable execution of sensitive workloads
Target customer
Developers, enterprises, and organizations requiring secure, decentralized computing for AI, DeFi, and data-sensitive applications
Industries served
Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Blockchain Infrastructure, Enterprise Cloud Services
Technology advantage
Utilizes tamper-resistant secure enclaves in smartphones for confidential computation, combined with blockchain-based verification for trustless execution
How they differentiate
Acurast differentiates itself by leveraging smartphone hardware for decentralized computation, avoiding reliance on server-grade TEEs (Trusted Execution Environments) used by competitors. This approach increases inclusivity and decentralization by utilizing widely available consumer devices rather than specialized server clusters
Main competitors
Phala Network, Arcium, Oasis Protocol
Key partnerships
Solana Mobile, OriginTrail, GnosisVPN, Flock.io, Tezos Foundation, Polkadot, Peaq, Mina Protocol, Aleph Zero, Moonbeam, Teneo, Massive
Notable customers
No specific enterprise customers disclosed, but network has significant traction with developers and DeFi protocols
Major milestones
Launched 'Staked Compute' protocol to align economic incentives with hardware availability, Oversubscribed CoinList token sale raised $5.4M in May 2025, Raised $11M total across non-dilutive grants and token-based rounds (2023-2025), TGE postponed from planned Nov 17, 2025 (announced Nov 14, 2025), Mainnet and Token Generation Event (TGE) launched January 20, 2026; ACU listed on Binance Alpha, Kraken, Gate.io, KuCoin, Bitvavo, MEXC, Network scaled to 280K+ onboarded phones across 175+ countries with 918M+ on-chain transactions (as of Aug 2026), Partnerships including Teneo (agent economy confidential execution, Jul 2026) and Massive (bandwidth/residential IPs, Jan 2026)
Growth metrics
280,000+ onboarded phones across 175+ countries; 918M+ on-chain transactions processed; 600,000+ compute deployments (network stats as of Aug 2026)
Market positioning
Acurast positions itself as a decentralized alternative to traditional cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and other DePIN projects by offering geographically distributed, tamper-resistant compute nodes powered by smartphones
Geographic focus
Global, with processors active in over 175 countries and no geographical restrictions for participation
Patents and IP
No publicly listed patents as of December 2025; focuses on proprietary cryptographic protocols and decentralized network architecture
About Alessandro De Carli
Alessandro De Carli has extensive experience in mobile cybersecurity. He previously founded Papers, a mobile security company that developed Hypergate, a mobile Single Sign-On solution used by Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. He transitioned from mobile security at Credit Suisse to launching Acurast, leveraging his deep expertise in secure mobile technologies.
Latest news about Acurast
- Acurast raised $11 million to fundamentally shift AI compute by leveraging a decentralized network of idle smartphones worldwide. This approach, validated by over 146,000 phones and nearly 494 million
- Acurast is shifting the cloud compute paradigm by investing $11 million to build a decentralized network using consumer smartphones. This innovative decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePI
More AI Infrastructure companies
Official website: https://acurast.com
