Raiku
Raiku builds Solana blockspace marketplace infrastructure via a forked validator client (raiku-agave) enabling Ahead-of-Time and Just-In-Time transaction guarantees. It serves developers, traders, institutions, and validators through AOT/JIT auctions and the rkuSOL liquid staking token.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersTallinn, Estonia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Raiku does
Raiku is a Web3 infrastructure company building blockspace marketplace technology for the Solana blockchain. Its core product is raiku-agave, a fork of the Jito Agave validator client extended with Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compute reservations and Just-In-Time (JIT) MEV bundle processing capabilities. AOT enables users to reserve compute units up to 100 slots in advance via first-price sealed-bid auctions, while JIT bundles are processed during active slots for time-sensitive transactions. The Raiku Engine, a gRPC service, routes high-value transactions to connected validators. Together, these components transform blockspace from an unpredictable commodity into a guaranteed, programmable resource, enabling developers to eliminate retry logic and traders to achieve deterministic execution.
The company's primary revenue model flows through blockspace auctions where validators sell compute capacity to searchers and developers, with tip distribution managed on-chain via merkle-root mechanisms. During the pilot program, the validator client is free and Raiku does not charge direct fees for services; commercial monetization is expected to scale as validators capture commission from blockspace revenue. Raiku also launched rkuSOL, a liquid staking token whose underlying validators earn from three sources (staking rewards, MEV, and blockspace auctions), differentiating it from typical Solana LSTs that earn from only two. rkuSOL achieved top-30 LST status within its first week, reaching approximately 89,000 SOL staked, with integrations across Sanctum (LST infrastructure), Kamino (collateral), Loopscale (fixed-rate credit), Exponent (yield trading), Phantom wallet, and Jupiter exchange.
Raiku serves four primary customer segments: developers and application builders requiring guaranteed transaction landing, professional traders and market makers needing predictable execution, institutional clients seeking enterprise-grade reliability for on-chain operations, and Solana validators seeking revenue diversification beyond staking rewards and MEV. The company is privately held, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands as Leigon Ltd, operates from Tallinn, Estonia, and has raised approximately $13.5 million across seed and subsequent funding rounds led by Pantera Capital, Big Brain Holdings, and Figment Capital. Backers and partners include Jump, Firedancer, Anza, Superteam, Pantera, and Figment Capital, with security audits conducted by OtterSec.
Raiku firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Raiku
- Legal name
- Leigon Ltd
- Website
- https://raiku.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Raiku builds Solana blockspace marketplace infrastructure via a forked validator client (raiku-agave) enabling Ahead-of-Time and Just-In-Time transaction guarantees. It serves developers, traders, institutions, and validators through AOT/JIT auctions and the rkuSOL liquid staking token.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Raiku industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Blockchain Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Exchanges (52321)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- MEV, Block Building & Validator Relay Services (FSADAOAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Staking Validators (PoS) & Delegation Services (FSADAKAC), Staking Infrastructure & Validator Enablement (Middleware, Slashing Protection, MEV Relays) (FSADAHAJ), MEV & Transaction Supply Chain Tooling (bundlers, private mempools, builders) (FSAPABAL), Staking, Restaking & Liquid Staking Finance (LST/LRT, validator markets) (FSAPAEAH)
Keywords
Where Raiku is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tallinn
- HQ country
- Estonia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Raiku business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Blockspace Auctions - AOT/JIT Revenue: Validators sell compute capacity through Raiku's Ahead-of-Time (AOT) and Just-In-Time (JIT) auctions. Both run as first-price sealed-bid auctions where buyers reserve space in blocks. Revenue is priced contractually before the trade happens, creating a new revenue stream independent of network congestion or market activity. This revenue flows back to rkuSOL stakers.
- Validator Bundle Tips: Validators receive tips from bundle submitters in exchange for inclusion. Tip distribution is managed on-chain via merkle-root-based mechanism. Validators configure commission rate (--raiku-commission-bps) to determine their cut of Raiku tips.
- Third-Party Integration Revenue Share: rkuSOL integrations with DeFi protocols (Kamino, Loopscale, Exponent) create ecosystem value. Validators backing rkuSOL earn from staking rewards, MEV, and blockspace revenue. The yield is tied to blockspace revenue rather than inflation alone.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Raiku product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Raiku operates a Solana validator-client infrastructure platform that runs a two-sided blockspace marketplace. Validators running the raiku-agave client sell guaranteed block inclusion through Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compute reservations (first-price sealed-bid auctions up to 100 slots ahead) and Just-In-Time (JIT) MEV bundle processing. The platform is monetized via the rkuSOL liquid staking token, whose underlying validators earn from staking rewards, MEV, and blockspace auction revenue.
Product overview
Raiku is a blockspace infrastructure platform on Solana that offers a unified product portfolio centered on its core validator client (raiku-agave), the Raiku Engine infrastructure, and the rkuSOL liquid staking token. The platform operates through two primary transaction markets: Ahead-of-Time (AOT) reservations for guaranteed block inclusion up to 100 slots in advance, and Just-In-Time (JIT) execution for same-slot transactions. This infrastructure enables validators to sell blockspace as a new revenue source, while rkuSOL provides liquid staking exposure to this blockspace revenue stream alongside traditional staking and MEV rewards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- rkuSOL: Raiku's liquid staking token (LST) that delegates stake to validators running Raiku's software, providing yield from staking, MEV, and blockspace sold through Raiku's auctions.
Products and services
- rkuSOL Raiku's liquid staking token (LST) that delegates stake to validators running Raiku's software. rkuSOL holders earn from three sources: staking rewards, MEV, and blockspace sold through Raiku's AOT/JIT auctions. Available via Phantom wallet, Jupiter exchange, and direct staking at stake.raiku.com.
- Raiku Core Platform The Raiku blockspace marketplace platform, providing a lightweight Solana validator client that enables Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) compute reservations and Just-In-Time (JIT) MEV bundle processing, optimized for latency and throughput. Establishes a fair and efficient market for blockspace, transforming it from an unpredictable commodity into a guaranteed, programmable resource.
- raiku-agave Validator Client Raiku's fork of the Jito Agave validator client, built directly on top of jito-agave. Extends the validator with Raiku bundle processing infrastructure, merkle-root tip distribution, and Raiku Engine integration. Compatible with Jito Classic (coexists), enabling validators to subscribe to both ecosystems simultaneously.
- Raiku Engine A gRPC service that routes high-value transactions to connected validators. Validators connect via the --raiku-engine-url flag and receive/process bundles from the Engine. Powers the routing layer of the AOT/JIT blockspace marketplace.
Quantifiable outcome
- rkuSOL entered top 30 Solana LSTs within first week of launch
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Raiku
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Raiku technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature6 records
Raiku partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SanctumcoreSanctum provides the LST infrastructure for rkuSOL, routing it through the Infinity liquidity pool from day one. Sanctum's unified infrastructure enables rkuSOL holders to earn autocompounding yields and access instant liquidity. rkuSOL is a first-class citizen of Sanctum's infrastructure.
- KaminocoreKamino integrated rkuSOL as collateral on its lending markets, expanding the range of yield-bearing collateral available on Solana. Mark Hull, Core Contributor to Kamino, stated: 'We're excited to integrate rkuSOL into the Kamino, continuing to expand the range of collateral available on Solana.'
- LoopscalecoreLoopscale supports rkuSOL across fixed-rate credit products. Loopscale runs fixed-rate credit which requires setting rates in advance, and rkuSOL's additional validator revenue through blockspace auctions provides yield curves that don't all move together, enabling speculation on demand in excess of native staking rate.
- ExponentcoreExponent listed rkuSOL on its yield trading platform, enabling traders to split principal from yield. Traders taking a view on yield need a curve with shape, and rkuSOL provides differentiated yield to build those curves. The Raiku SOL DeFi Vault on Exponent provides blended exposure to rkuSOL.
- PhantomcorePhantom wallet supports rkuSOL from launch, giving Solana's largest consumer-facing wallet direct access to rkuSOL staking through their existing wallet interface.
- JupitercoreJupiter exchange aggregator supports rkuSOL from launch, providing Solana's major exchange aggregator users direct access to rkuSOL through their existing wallets and trading interface.
- OtterSeccoreOtterSec conducted security audits of Raiku's onchain programs and Raiku Agave Validator Client. Full audit reports available for download. OtterSec is described as one of the leading security firms in the industry.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Raiku competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Triton One: Triton One operates institutional Solana validator infrastructure and staking services. It competes with Raiku for institutional validator partnerships and staking capital on Solana.
- Helius: Helius provides Solana RPC, validator, and developer infrastructure including staked SOL products. It overlaps with Raiku on Solana infrastructure services and developer-facing distribution.
- Everstake: Everstake is a non-custodial staking provider offering Solana validator services and staking-as-a-service. It competes with Raiku for validator onboarding and staked SOL delegation.
- Blocknative: Blocknative provides mempool monitoring, MEV-aware transaction tooling, and block-building infrastructure across chains. It overlaps with Raiku's JIT MEV bundle processing and transaction supply chain positioning.
Direct peers
- Jito Labs: Jito Labs operates the dominant MEV infrastructure on Solana via the Jito-Solana validator client and Jito BAM block-assembly marketplace. Raiku's AOT/JIT blockspace marketplace directly competes with Jito BAM and shares the same underlying Agave client fork.
- Marinade Finance: Marinade is the largest native liquid staking protocol on Solana, operating mSOL. It competes directly with rkuSOL in the LST category and overlaps with Raiku's validator economics and staking yield proposition.
- Sanctum: Sanctum provides unified liquid staking infrastructure on Solana and is both a core partner (powering rkuSOL via the Infinity pool) and a direct competitor with its own native LST.
Broad incumbents
- Lido Finance: Lido is the largest liquid staking protocol across chains, offering stSOL on Solana via a Lido-Solana program. It competes with rkuSOL for Solana staking share at massive scale.
- Figment: Figment is a leading institutional staking infrastructure provider across multiple PoS networks including Solana. As a Raiku seed investor, it is both a partner and a broad competitor in the validator/staking services category.
Others
- Anza: Anza is a core Solana development shop contributing to the Agave validator client. While not a direct commercial competitor, Anza's roadmap decisions directly determine the protocol environment in which Raiku's forked client operates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Raiku social profiles
Digital presenceRaiku compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Raiku financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Raiku leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Raiku funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Raiku M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Raiku
What does Raiku do?
Raiku operates a Solana validator-client infrastructure platform that runs a two-sided blockspace marketplace. Validators running the raiku-agave client sell guaranteed block inclusion through Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compute reservations (first-price sealed-bid auctions up to 100 slots ahead) and Just-In-Time (JIT) MEV bundle processing. The platform is monetized via the rkuSOL liquid staking token, whose underlying validators earn from staking rewards, MEV, and blockspace auction revenue.
Is Raiku a public or private company?
Raiku is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Raiku founded?
Raiku was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Raiku based?
Raiku is headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, in the Europe region.
How does Raiku make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Blockspace Auctions - AOT/JIT Revenue is the primary driver. The others are validator Bundle Tips and third-Party Integration Revenue Share.
Who are Raiku's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Triton One, Helius, Everstake and Blocknative. Direct peers are Jito Labs, Marinade Finance and Sanctum. Broad incumbents are Lido Finance and Figment. Anza is listed as an others.
Does Raiku have an API?
No public API is recorded for Raiku.
What industry is Raiku in?
Raiku's product category is Blockchain Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAOAN, MEV, Block Building & Validator Relay Services, with a secondary code of FSADAKAC, Staking Validators (PoS) & Delegation Services. Its NAICS code is 52321 and its SIC code is 6200.