Acurast raises $11 million to launch decentralized computing network

Cash flow from Wood and Web3 Stalwarts

Acurast, a Switzerland-based decentralized computing-focused Web3 infrastructure startup, has raised $11 million in a strategic funding round to accelerate the launch of its mobile-first decentralized computing network. The round was led by a group of blockchain investors including Polychain Capital, Maven 11, and Dokia Capital, positioning Acurast at the forefront of the next generation of distributed computing.

This overfunding round, led by Borderless Capital with contributions from Zilliqa's ecosystem fund and Spartan Group, caps a milestone year for Acurast since its testnet launch in 2024, with 50,000 devices connected and 1 million computations processed.

Gavin Wood's involvement – ​​through his Polkadot ecosystem – brings platform-level credibility, with the Polkadot founder praising Acurast's "verifiable secure computation system" as "the missing link for decentralized AI."

Redefining decentralized computing

Unlike traditional decentralized computing networks that rely on dedicated GPUs or server nodes (like Render, Akash, or Gensyn), Acurast's approach takes advantage of the idle processing power of mobile devices.

The network supports a wide range of use cases, including:

• Training AI models and inference tasks

• Offloading DeFi and Oracle Computations

• Real-time data processing for IoT and mobile applications

Through Acurast's mobile SDK and native apps, smartphone users can securely contribute CPU and GPU resources while maintaining full control over privacy and energy efficiency.

This model turns millions of phones into micro-data centers, effectively democratizing access to cloud computing.

Funding for a new vision

The $11 million round will fund Acurast's Mainnet deployment in Q2 2026, along with developer grants, mobile partnerships, and training programs for early contributors.

This capital will also accelerate integration with Web3 ecosystems looking for affordable and verifiable off-chain computing solutions, including AI training protocols, zero-knowledge proof systems, and oracle frameworks.

Acurast's backers see the company as a key infrastructure player in the emerging "data-first" economy, where decentralized computing replaces centralized cloud monopolies.

Evaluation and Conclusion

With an $11 million funding round, Acurast is positioning itself as a new pillar in the decentralized computing economy—one that harnesses the massive, idle power of billions of mobile devices around the world.

By combining trustless computing, cross-chain interoperability, and mobile accessibility, the Acurast network can redefine what it means to “own” digital infrastructure.

As Web3 moves from speculation to utility, Acurast's vision—turning every phone into a node of a decentralized cloud—may not just be ambitious; it could be the most comprehensive version of the Internet ever.

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