About
NEAR Protocol is building 'User-Owned AI' infrastructure where users own their models, data, and value. Co-founded by Illia Polosukhin, co-author of the influential Transformers paper behind ChatGPT. Launched NEAR AI R&D lab and is developing a 1.4 trillion parameter decentralized model. Deutsche Telekom operates a validator on the network. Joined NVIDIA Inception Program for enterprise AI. Features AI-native 'Intents' for autonomous blockchain transactions.
Key Facts
- [1]Funding: Total funding: $542M. Last round: Jul 2019. Stage: Late Stage.
- [2]Employees: Employee count: 201-500.
- [3]Company Type: Token company (token-based project).
- [4]Web3: Web3 and blockchain technology company. Token-based project.
- [5]Website: Official website: near.org.
- [6]AI Technology: Core AI/ML technologies: Infrastructure.
- [7]Region: Region: Americas (United States).
Founders
Illia Polosukhin
Co-founder
Alexander Skidanov
Co-founder
AI Technology
Infrastructure
AI/ML infrastructure, compute networks, and tooling
Classification
Market Segments
Tech Stack Layers
Details
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is NEAR Protocol?
NEAR Protocol is building 'User-Owned AI' infrastructure where users own their models, data, and value. Co-founded by Illia Polosukhin, co-author of the influential Transformers paper behind ChatGPT. Launched NEAR AI R&D lab and is developing a 1.4 trillion parameter decentralized model. Deutsche Telekom operates a validator on the network. Joined NVIDIA Inception Program for enterprise AI. Features AI-native 'Intents' for autonomous blockchain transactions. NEAR Protocol is classified in the Crypto & Web3 segment at the Infrastructure layer of the financial AI stack.
Who founded NEAR Protocol?
NEAR Protocol was founded by Illia Polosukhin (Co-founder) and Alexander Skidanov (Co-founder).
How much funding has NEAR Protocol raised?
NEAR Protocol has raised $542M in total funding, placing the company at the Late Stage stage. The most recent round closed in Jul 2019. Among 38 funded Crypto & Web3 companies, NEAR Protocol ranks #4 by total capital raised. (Source: AIFI Map directory.)
What AI technology does NEAR Protocol use?
NEAR Protocol primarily leverages Infrastructure technology. AI/ML infrastructure, compute networks, and tooling. Within the Crypto & Web3 segment, 28 companies use this technology.
What market segment does NEAR Protocol operate in?
NEAR Protocol operates in the Crypto & Web3 market segment. AI-powered crypto and Web3 companies operate at the intersection of artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and decentralized finance. This segment includes DeFi protocols enhanced by AI, crypto trading platforms, blockchain analytics tools, and the emerging category of on-chain AI agents.
Who are NEAR Protocol's competitors?
Companies similar to NEAR Protocol in the Crypto & Web3 space include Stripe ($9.8B raised), Natural ($10M raised), Catena Labs ($18M raised), Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) ($16M raised), VaderAI. These companies operate in related areas of financial AI: Stripe focuses on ai-powered payments platform with fraud detection. Natural focuses on payments infrastructure for ai agent transactions. Catena Labs focuses on building payment rails for ai agents. (Based on AIFI Map classification data.)
What products does NEAR Protocol offer?
NEAR Protocol builds infrastructure-layer solutions for the financial services industry. The company's core offering: Layer-1 blockchain with AI capabilities. The platform is powered by Infrastructure technology.
Is NEAR Protocol publicly traded?
NEAR Protocol operates as a token-based project rather than a traditional equity-backed company. It is a Web3-native platform leveraging blockchain and decentralized finance.
Does NEAR Protocol use Web3 or blockchain technology?
Yes, NEAR Protocol incorporates Web3 and blockchain technology. Layer-1 blockchain with AI capabilities. The project operates as a token-based platform. NEAR Protocol is part of the Crypto & Web3 segment in the AIFI directory.