What Cape does

Cape (legal entity Private Tech, Inc.) is a privacy-first mobile virtual network operator headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, founded in 2022 by former Palantir executives John Doyle (CEO), Nick Espinoza, Stephen Dowhy, and David Dunn. The company operates its own cloud-based, U.S.-owned mobile core network and designs its own SIM infrastructure, while leasing physical radio access from incumbent carriers — an architecture Cape describes as a "heavy MVNO." This in-house core enables a set of privacy and security features that conventional carriers do not offer: daily IMSI rotation, last-mile encrypted SMS/MMS, encrypted voicemail, signaling-attack blocking (Network Lock), 1-day call log retention, cryptographic SIM swap protection, anonymous sign-up (no name, address, or SSN collected), and secure home-routed international roaming in 50+ countries.

Cape sells a single subscription plan priced at $99 per month (reduced to $70 per month for life for early adopters), bundled with unlimited talk, text, and 5G/4G data plus two secondary phone numbers and the full privacy feature set. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via cape.co and the Cape iOS/Android app, supplemented by a dedicated field sales motion that has produced 31 U.S. government contracts as of March 2026, including a 2024 pilot on Guam and active engagements with DoD and federal agencies. The go-to-market also emphasizes community: partnerships with Proton, EFF, GrapheneOS, Kagi, and Surveillance Watch, congressional testimony by the CEO, and academic collaboration with the University of Maryland's Breakerspace and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Revenue grew from $4.5M in 2024 to $37M in 2025 (an 8x increase), backed by approximately $191M in total funding across a Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz and A-Star (April 2024) and a Series C co-led by Bain Capital Ventures and IVP (March 2026) that valued the company at $900M. Cape is planning international and space expansion in 2026 and is positioning the service as a federal-grade secure communications layer in addition to a consumer privacy carrier.

Name

Cape

Legal name

Private Tech, Inc. d/b/a Cape

Website

https://cape.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cape is a privacy-first U.S. mobile virtual network operator that runs its own mobile core and SIM infrastructure to deliver a $99/month subscription mobile service with IMSI rotation, encrypted messaging, and signaling-attack protection, serving privacy-conscious consumers, enterprises, and U.S. government/defense customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Telecommunications

NAICS

Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Numbering, DID, Porting & Carrier-of-Record Services (HDAIAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Collaboration & Unified Communications Management (UCaaS/VoIP) (BPAEABAK)

Keywords

• Mobile virtual network operator
• Privacy-first cellular service
• Encrypted mobile communications
• Secure mobile carrier
• IMSI rotation service

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Monthly Mobile Service Subscription: Cape generates revenue through a single recurring monthly subscription for its privacy-first mobile service. The service includes unlimited talk, text, and 5G/4G data, plus privacy and security features. No other revenue streams are referenced. Revenue grew from $4.5M in 2024 to $37M in 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cape operates a privacy-first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service delivered through a US-based cloud mobile core and proprietary SIM infrastructure, while leasing radio access from traditional carriers. The single subscription plan bundles unlimited talk, text, and 5G/4G data with privacy features including daily IMSI rotation, secondary encrypted numbers, last-mile encrypted texting, network lock signaling protection, secure global roaming, disappearing call logs, encrypted voicemail, and SIM swap protection via a 24-word recovery phrase.

Product overview

Cape is a privacy-first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) offering a single unified mobile service plan built around privacy and security as first principles. Unlike traditional carriers, Cape operates its own cloud-based mobile core and designs its own SIM infrastructure while leasing physical radio access from incumbent carriers. The core Cape Mobile Service ($99/month, currently discounted to $70/month for early adopters) bundles unlimited talk, text, and 5G/4G data with a suite of proprietary privacy and security features: Identifier Rotation (automatic daily IMSI rotation), Secondary Numbers (two additional encrypted lines), Last-Mile Encrypted Texting, Secure Global Roaming, Network Lock (signaling attack blocking), Disappearing Call Logs (1-day retention), SIM Swap Protection (cryptographic key-based), and Encrypted Voicemail. Cape also offers a partnership with Proton (VPN Plus or Unlimited at $1 for 6 months) as a value-add for subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cape Mobile Service Privacy-first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) offering a single subscription plan with unlimited talk, text, and 5G/4G data on a nationwide US network. Cape operates its own cloud-based mobile core and SIM infrastructure while leasing radio access from incumbent carriers, bundling in proprietary privacy and security features unavailable from conventional carriers. Marketed to consumers, enterprises, and government agencies.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• RiPSIM TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 4 March 2026RiPSIM Technologies and Cape partnered to provide U.S.-sourced SIM credentials to consumers, enterprises, and government customers. The partnership aims to enhance telecom security by moving credentialing into a cloud-native environment, ensuring full customer custody and reducing supply chain risks. This partnership directly supports Cape's proprietary SIM infrastructure strategy.
• ProtonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape partners with Proton, a global leader in digital privacy, to offer Cape subscribers either Proton Unlimited (Mail, Calendar, Drive, VPN, Pass, Wallet) or Proton VPN Plus for just $1 total for the first 6 months. This is Cape's flagship consumer partnership, promoting joint privacy protection at the network and application layers.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape provides research support and a lab environment to EFF in support of their work defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation. Cape collaborated with EFF to improve detection of Cell Site Simulators (CSS), contributing to the development of Rayhunter and helping identify suspicious CSS activity at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Cape also launched a program providing free Cape cellular service to journalists and activists at risk, with EFF as an independent vetting partner.
• GrapheneOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape supports GrapheneOS, a secure, open-source, privacy-focused Android operating system, by donating the first month's subscription of every GrapheneOS user to the project. Cape also offers GrapheneOS users a $500 discount on their first 6 months of service (bringing the monthly cost to $15), and GrapheneOS installation support for $50. The two organizations share a mission of protecting users from surveillance and exploitation.
• Surveillance WatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape supports Surveillance Watch, an interactive compilation of global surveillance entities, as part of its mission to improve transparency around surveillance infrastructure.
• KagiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape partners with Kagi, a private, ad-free search engine, offering Cape subscribers their first 3 months of Kagi search for free as part of its broader ecosystem of privacy-focused tools.
• University of Maryland (Breakerspace)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape collaborates with the University of Maryland's Breakerspace research lab, led by Dave Levin, which researches next-generation network and systems security and has received recognition including the Internet Defense Prize.
• Air Force Research LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape collaborates with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the research arm of the U.S. Air Force that advances cutting-edge technologies including cybersecurity and national defense systems.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mint Mobile: Direct-to-consumer MVNO selling affordable unlimited talk/text/data plans on T-Mobile's network. Most direct functional competitor to Cape at the consumer MVNO layer; differentiates on price rather than privacy.
• US Mobile: Multi-carrier MVNO emphasizing flexible plans and a tech-forward brand. Direct consumer MVNO peer that competes for the same switcher audience as Cape, though without the privacy/security differentiator.
• Consumer Cellular: Long-established MVNO focused on older and value-oriented consumers. Direct MVNO peer using AT&T/T-Mobile networks, demonstrating the standard MVNO playbook against which Cape's vertical integration stands out.
• Silent Circle: Privacy-first mobile communications provider (creator of the Blackphone) selling encrypted voice, messaging, and data plans for enterprises and government. Closest analogue in the secure-mobile niche and direct competitor for Cape's enterprise/government segment.

Broad incumbents

• Google Fi: Google-operated MVNO over T-Mobile/US Cellular. Broad incumbent serving consumers with similar MVNO economics but only marginal privacy features; competes on ecosystem rather than security posture.
• AT&T: Tier-1 US wireless carrier and Cape's referenced host-network partner. Sets the wholesale terms that drive Cape's cost structure and competitive ceiling; defines the privacy/status quo that Cape's product is positioned against.
• T-Mobile: Tier-1 US wireless carrier used by most competing MVNOs. Represents the broader carrier experience (call-log retention, data monetization) that Cape's privacy posture explicitly contrasts with.
• Verizon: Tier-1 US wireless carrier and enterprise/government connectivity incumbent. Comparable at the federal/DoD connectivity layer where Cape is also winning contracts.

Emerging players

• Proton: Swiss privacy company offering Mail, VPN, Drive, and other encrypted services and a strategic Cape partner. Emerging peer in privacy ecosystems with overlapping end-user base and bundled product strategy ($1/6-month Proton offering in Cape plans).
• Republic Wireless: Tech-forward MVNO offering low-cost mobile plans with Wi-Fi-first behavior on T-Mobile's network. Emerging peer focused on plan flexibility and technology-led switching — same switching-event customer Cape targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getcape
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cape-privacy
• Facebookfacebook.com/getcape
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capemvno
• Instagraminstagram.com/getcape

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors16 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cape