Helium

What Helium does

Nova Labs, Inc. (dba Helium) operates a decentralized wireless network platform that combines community-deployed hotspots with blockchain-based token economics to deliver cellular offload and IoT connectivity. The platform has two core networks: the Helium Mobile Network, providing 5G/cellular offload to Tier-1 carriers and direct mobile connectivity to subscribers, and the Helium IoT Network, described as the world's largest contiguous LoRaWAN network connecting sensors, devices, and machines. The system runs on the Solana blockchain and is powered by the HNT token via a burn-and-mint equilibrium — HNT is earned by hotspot operators providing coverage and burned as Data Credits when users transfer data. Proprietary components include the LongFi protocol (LoRa combined with Helium's incentive layer), the Helium World deployer management platform, and Helium Plus, a software upgrade that converts existing Passpoint-capable Wi-Fi networks (Aruba, Cisco Meraki, Extreme, Fortinet, Ruckus, Ubiquiti) into Helium Network nodes.

Helium monetizes through hardware sales of purpose-built Mobile Hotspots ($249 indoor, $499 outdoor), Data Credit / HNT token economics, enterprise carrier offload fees, and (historically) Helium Mobile consumer subscription plans. The company reports 950,000+ globally active hotspots, 3 million+ daily active users, 110+ TB of daily data transferred, and 450,000+ mobile subscribers — though the consumer mobile carrier business was divested to Andrew Yang's Noble Mobile in June 2026, leaving Helium focused on network infrastructure. Strategic carrier partnerships include AT&T (April 2025, 93,000+ hotspot offload), T-Mobile, and Telefónica's Movistar Mexico (February 2025, 2M subscribers), with international expansion into Brazil via Mambo WiFi (December 2025) and the UK. Helium has raised approximately $365M+ in cumulative funding including a $200M Series D in February 2022 led by Tiger Global and Andreessen Horowitz at a $1.2B valuation. Following the 2026 divestiture, founder Amir Haleem transitioned to Chairman and Mario Di Dio, an enterprise telecom veteran, became CEO. The SEC dismissed its enforcement action against Helium in May 2025, providing regulatory clarity that HNT tokens are not securities.

Name

Helium

Legal name

Nova Labs, Inc.

Website

https://helium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Helium (Nova Labs, Inc.) operates a decentralized wireless network of 950,000+ community-deployed hotspots, providing cellular offload for Tier-1 carriers and LoRaWAN IoT connectivity, powered by the HNT token on Solana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decentralized Wireless Network Infrastructure

NAICS

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

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

Decentralized Wireless & IoT Networks (LoRaWAN/5G/WiFi hotspots, sensor networks) (FSAPALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

DePIN Hardware, Devices & Supply Chain (miners/routers/hotspots, firmware, device management) (FSAPALAJ), Site Security, Monitoring & Remote Operations (NOC/IoT) (HDAIAKAH)

Keywords

• Decentralized wireless network
• LoRaWAN IoT connectivity
• Mobile carrier offload
• Blockchain hotspot infrastructure
• Wi-Fi monetization software

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HNT Token Economics: Primary revenue mechanism through HNT token. Hotspot operators earn HNT for providing coverage and validating transactions. The token's market value and trading activity on cryptocurrency exchanges constitute the core economic engine of the Helium ecosystem.
2. Data Credits: Users burn Data Credits (purchased with HNT) to transfer data on the network. Provides stable revenue stream tied to actual network usage.
3. Hardware Sales: Sale of Helium Hotspot devices (Indoor at $249, Outdoor at $499) to community deployers. One-time hardware revenue from the hotspot operator community.
4. Mobile Plans: Helium Mobile subscription plans for consumers providing cellular-style connectivity through the Helium network. Recurring subscription revenue from mobile subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Helium operates a decentralized wireless network platform that combines two core networks: the Helium IoT Network (the world's largest contiguous LoRaWAN network for sensors and machines) and the Helium Mobile Network (a 5G/cellular network providing carrier offload and direct mobile connectivity). The company sells purpose-built Indoor and Outdoor Hotspot hardware, offers Helium Plus software that converts existing third-party Wi-Fi infrastructure into Helium coverage, and powers its economy through the HNT token running on the Solana blockchain. Hotspot operators earn HNT for providing coverage while users burn Data Credits to transfer data on the network.

Product overview

Helium is a decentralized wireless network platform with two core networks: the Helium Mobile Network (cellular offload for carriers and mobile subscribers) and the Helium IoT Network (LoRaWAN for sensors and devices). The platform is powered by HNT token running on Solana blockchain. Consumer offerings include Helium Mobile phone plans (acquired by Noble Mobile in 2026), while business offerings include Helium Plus (software upgrade for existing Wi-Fi infrastructure), Carrier Offload services, and purpose-built Mobile Hotspots (indoor at $249, outdoor at $499). Hotspot deployment is managed through Helium World platform. The economic model rewards network builders with HNT while carriers and users burn HNT for data usage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Helium Mobile: Consumer wireless carrier service offering mobile phone plans on the Helium Network, partnered with T-Mobile for coverage.
• Helium IoT
• HNT
• Helium Plus

Products and services

• Helium Mobile Network A decentralized wireless network built from community-deployed 5G/cellular Hotspots that provides cellular offload services to major carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Movistar) and direct connectivity to mobile subscribers, using a burn-and-mint economic model where hotspot operators earn HNT for providing coverage.
• Helium IoT Network The world's largest contiguous LoRaWAN network connecting hundreds of thousands of sensors, devices, and machines; provides long-range, low-power connectivity for IoT applications including asset tracking, smart agriculture, smart cities, and industrial monitoring.
• HNT (Helium Network Token) The native cryptocurrency token running on the Solana blockchain that powers the Helium connectivity economy. HNT is burned when the network is used (creating Data Credits) and earned by Hotspot operators who provide coverage; serves as the economic engine of the network.
• Helium Plus Software upgrade that converts existing Passpoint-capable Wi-Fi infrastructure (from Aruba, Cisco Meraki, Extreme, Fortinet, Ruckus, Ubiquiti) into part of the Helium Network; enables venues to monetize unused bandwidth by providing carrier offload services without deploying new hardware, earning HNT or USD.
• Helium Mobile Hotspot (Indoor)
• Helium Mobile Hotspot (Outdoor)
• Helium World Web-based platform for exploring Helium Network coverage and managing hotspot deployments; features network visualization, hotspot management, reward tracking, and deployment analytics.
• Carrier Offload with Helium

Quantifiable outcome

• 110+ TB daily data transferred across the network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• AT&TflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAT&T partnered with Helium for Wi-Fi offload services, enabling AT&T subscribers to connect through Helium's decentralized Wi-Fi network. This partnership provides AT&T with cost-effective coverage extension and traffic offload capabilities.
• T-MobileflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerT-Mobile serves as a carrier partner for Helium Mobile, enabling the network to provide nationwide coverage through T-Mobile's infrastructure in combination with Helium's distributed hotspot network.
• Telefónica/Movistar MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelefónica's Mexican brand Movistar partnered with Helium for regional coverage expansion in Mexico. The partnership enables Helium to extend its network footprint into Latin American markets through an established carrier relationship.
• Talus CommunicationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTalus Communications is a deployment partner that operates and manages large-scale Helium hotspot deployments. As a channel partner, Talus acquires, deploys, and operates hotspots to expand network coverage in targeted areas.
• LongFicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLongFi is a network deployer focused on IoT and LoRaWAN connectivity services, deploying and operating Helium hotspots to provide Internet of Things connectivity solutions.
• Ace TomatocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAce Tomato is a managed wireless deployment partner that operates Helium hotspots at scale, providing network coverage and connectivity services through the Helium infrastructure.
• Decentralized LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDecentralized LLC is a Helium network deployer operating hotspots for network coverage and earning HNT tokens through network participation.
• Mile-High Wi-FiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMile-High Wi-Fi is a Denver-based IT firm and Helium hotspot operator providing coverage in the Denver metropolitan area through the Helium network.
• Hudson HouseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHudson House is a deployment company operating Helium hotspots as part of its network infrastructure business.
• Rooftop Digital Income (RDI)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRooftop Digital Income (RDI) is a deployment partner focused on rooftop hotspot deployments to maximize coverage and network density in urban environments.
• DAWN InternetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAWN Internet partnered with Helium for decentralized internet initiatives, exploring non-traditional connectivity solutions through the Helium network infrastructure.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boingo Wireless: Wi-Fi offload and carrier services provider enabling mobile operators to offload traffic to venues, comparable to Helium's carrier offload business model and customer base.
• Pollen Mobile: DePIN mobile network where individuals operate hotspots to earn tokens for providing 4G/5G coverage — a direct competitor to Helium Mobile with the same tokenized, community-built model.
• The Things Network: Community-built LoRaWAN IoT network using crowd-deployed gateways, directly comparable to Helium's IoT Network in protocol, target customers, and deployment model.
• Wayru: Decentralized WiFi hotspot network rewarding deployers with tokens for providing connectivity, similar in architecture to Helium's hotspot network and target use cases.
• World Mobile Token: Decentralized wireless network using community-deployed nodes and a token-incentive model to provide mobile connectivity in underserved regions, directly comparable to Helium's DePIN wireless approach.

Broad incumbents

• American Tower: Large-scale tower and passive communications infrastructure owner-operator, comparable as a competing model for building out wireless coverage that Helium aims to disrupt with decentralized infrastructure.
• Sigfox: Low-power wide-area network operator for IoT devices, addressing the same IoT connectivity market as Helium's LoRaWAN network with a proprietary rather than decentralized model.
• Senet: Managed LoRaWAN network operator providing IoT connectivity for enterprise customers, comparable to Helium's IoT network but with traditional operator economics rather than token incentives.
• Republic Wireless: Hybrid Wi-Fi/cellular MVNO offering mobile plans that leverage Wi-Fi offload, comparable in consumer mobile strategy to Helium Mobile's pre-Noble-Mobile approach.

Others

• ChirpStack: Open-source LoRaWAN network server stack used to deploy and manage LoRaWAN networks, comparable as enabling infrastructure for community-built IoT networks like Helium's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helium
• Instagraminstagram.com/helium
• Facebookfacebook.com/heliumsystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heliuminc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors31 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 Helium