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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: Series A and Token Sale. 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 (through Gavin Wood's involvement)","Peaq","Mina Protocol","Aleph Zero","Moonbeam"]

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","Processed 250 million+ transactions on Testnet","Expanded network to 130+ countries","Received $11M funding across multiple rounds (2023-2025)","Mainnet and Token Generation Event (TGE) launched on November 17, 2025","Oversubscribed CoinList token sale raised $5.4M in May 2025"]

Growth metrics

150,000+ smartphone users; 500 million+ transactions processed on the network; 87,000+ developer deployments; 179,000+ accounts created

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 130 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.

Official website: