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DataAlliance

Category: AI Infrastructure

A distributed GPU sharing economy platform (GCUBE) that aggregates and monetizes idle computing resources from various sources to provide affordable high-performance AI infrastructure. DataAlliance was founded in 2016. The company is led by Kwang-beom Lee. Based in Seoul, South Korea. Team size: 20-50. Total funding raised: $2.2M+. Latest round: Strategic Investment (Undisclosed, Aug 2024). Key investors include ["TS Investment","Naver Cloud"].

Founded
2016
Headquarters
Seoul, South Korea
Team size
20-50
Total funding
$2.2M+

Value proposition

Reduces AI model development and inference costs by up to 70% compared to hyperscale cloud providers while providing a secure, high-performance distributed computing environment.

Products and solutions

["GCUBE: Distributed GPU sharing and rental platform","Smart City AIoT: Edge AI infrastructure for urban monitoring and safety","Sharing Economy ICT Platform: Blockchain-based resource tracking and reward system","Edge-AIoT Platform: Integrated network infrastructure for localized AI processing"]

Unique value

Implements a true 'sharing economy' for AI hardware by crowdsourcing idle GPUs from disparate sources like PC rooms, households, and enterprises into a unified cloud-like resource.

Target customer

AI startups and independent developers seeking cost-effective compute, PC room owners and enterprises with underutilized GPU hardware, and smart city planning authorities.

Industries served

["Artificial Intelligence","Cloud Computing","Smart City & Urban Infrastructure","Internet of Things (IoT)"]

Technology advantage

Utilizes proprietary virtualization and containerization technology to eliminate security vulnerabilities (such as those found in standard Windows WSL) typically associated with shared hardware, ensuring enterprise-grade data privacy.

How they differentiate

DataAlliance differentiates through its 'GCUBE' platform which crowdsources idle GPU resources from unconventional sources like PC rooms, households, and enterprises. It utilizes proprietary virtualization and containerization to provide enterprise-grade security on shared hardware, offering AI compute at up to 70% lower costs than hyperscale cloud providers.

Main competitors

["Vast.ai","Salad.com","Moreh","Akash Network"]

Key partnerships

["Naver Cloud: Strategic partner for Open Innovation and GPU resource scaling","FPT Smart Cloud (Vietnam): Strategic partnership for expanding GPU infrastructure in the Asian market","Bucheon City: Lead contractor for Smart City Challenge projects","South Korean Government (MOLIT/MSIT): R&D partner for national Edge AI and smart infrastructure projects"]

Notable customers

["Toonsquare (AI content creation)","Bucheon City (Smart City projects)","FPT Smart Cloud (Vietnam partner)","Naver Cloud (Strategic partner)"]

Major milestones

["Launched 'GCUBE' South Korea's first distributed GPU sharing platform in 2023","Secured 3 Billion KRW ($2.2M) Pre-A funding from TS Investment in Oct 2023","Signed global strategic partnership with Vietnam's FPT Smart Cloud in 2024","Secured strategic investment and MSP partnership with Naver Cloud in Aug 2024","Launched GCUBE Open Beta in Jan 2025 and signed MOU with Toonsquare in Mar 2025"]

Growth metrics

Launched Open Beta in January 2025; targeting 4,000+ GPU nodes and scaling commercial operations through strategic cloud partnerships.

Market positioning

Leading 'sharing economy' AI infrastructure provider in South Korea, bridging the gap between high GPU demand and underutilized consumer/enterprise hardware.

Geographic focus

South Korea (HQ), Vietnam (via FPT partnership), and North America (target market).

Patents and IP

Holds core patents for transparent data recording and reward systems that facilitate fair compensation for computing resource providers.

About Kwang-beom Lee

Kwang-beom Lee is a prominent first-generation Internet of Things (IoT) expert in South Korea. He previously served as the Chairperson of the OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation) Korea Forum and has a deep background in implementing sharing economy models through ICT. He founded DataAlliance in 2016, originally focusing on IoT and Smart City infrastructure before pivoting the company to specialized AI GPU cloud infrastructure.

Official website: