Monkeybrains
Monkeybrains is a San Francisco-based Wireless Internet Service Provider founded in 1998, delivering fixed wireless internet to over 25,000 residential and business accounts across the Bay Area using microwave technology and a hybrid fiber backbone.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Monkeybrains does
Monkeybrains is a privately-held Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco, operating as an independent alternative to incumbent ISPs across the Bay Area. The company delivers internet service through a fixed wireless architecture using microwave technology combined with a hybrid fiber optic backbone; network access points mounted on over 1,000 buildings across the city broadcast encrypted wireless signals to roof-mounted customer antennas, enabling service delivery without dependence on legacy cable infrastructure.
The company sells four core products: residential internet (up to 1 Gbps at $35/month with no contracts, no data caps, month-to-month billing), business internet across three tiers (Boutique $75/mo for 1-5 users up to Enterprise $500/mo for 50+ users with speeds to 10 Gbps), short-term event bandwidth (25 Mbps to 1 Gbps at $3,000/day+), and colocation at two San Francisco data centers (Tier 4 at 200 Paul Ave and a Tier 2 facility in the Mission District). Revenue is generated almost entirely through recurring monthly subscriptions across residential and business customers, supplemented by managed colocation services and event-based fees.
Monkeybrains serves more than 25,000 customer accounts across San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond with a stated 99.98% uptime performance. The company distributes through a direct-to-consumer model via its website and phone sales, complemented by building-management partnerships for rooftop access and an affiliate arrangement with Tel-One Network Services for restricted buildings. Co-founded by Rudy Rucker and Alex Menendez, the company has remained founder-led with no external institutional investors disclosed, and has expanded via acquisition of Necto (2019) and Common Networks (2020).
Monkeybrains firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Monkeybrains
- Legal name
- Monkeybrains
- Website
- https://monkeybrains.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Monkeybrains is a San Francisco-based Wireless Internet Service Provider founded in 1998, delivering fixed wireless internet to over 25,000 residential and business accounts across the Bay Area using microwave technology and a hybrid fiber backbone.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Monkeybrains industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fixed Wireless Internet Services
- NAICS
- Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)
- SIC
- Radiotelephone Communications (4812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers (HDAIADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Managed Colocation & Remote Hands Services (HDABACAD)
Keywords
Where Monkeybrains is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Monkeybrains business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Residential Internet Service: Monthly subscription internet service for residential customers. $35/month for speeds up to 100Mbps with no contracts, no data caps.
- Business Internet Service: Monthly subscription plans for business customers with tiered pricing: Boutique ($75/mo), Classic ($300/mo), Enterprise ($500/mo). No data caps, static IPs available.
- Colocation Services: Colocation at two San Francisco locations. 200 Paul Ave facility ($150/amp/month, Tier 4) and Mission District facility ($125/amp/month, Tier 2).
- Event Bandwidth: Short-term internet service for events from 25 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Daily rates start at $3k for locations not currently serviced.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Residential - $35/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Boutique Business - Starting at $75/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Classic Business - $300/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise Business - $500/month |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | 200 Paul Ave Colocation - $150/amp/month |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Mission District Colocation - $125/amp/month |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Event Internet - Starting at $3k/day |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Monkeybrains product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Monkeybrains is a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) that delivers fixed wireless broadband internet to residential and business customers across the San Francisco Bay Area using microwave technology connected to rooftop antennas. The company also offers colocation services at Tier 4 and Tier 2 data center facilities and short-term event bandwidth for venues in San Francisco.
Product overview
Monkeybrains is a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) offering a portfolio of fixed wireless internet services to residents and businesses throughout the Bay Area. The core product lineup includes Residential Internet Service (up to 1 Gbps at $35/month), Business Internet Service with three tiers (Boutique, Classic, Enterprise ranging from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps), Event Internet Service (temporary bandwidth from 25 Mbps to 1 Gbps), and Colocation Services at two San Francisco data centers. Static IP address allocation is available as an add-on for business customers. The company operates primarily as a WISP using microwave technology with a hybrid network of fiber optic and high-capacity wireless links, delivering service via roof-mounted antennas connected to network access points on over 1,000 buildings city-wide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.98% uptime performance
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Monkeybrains
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Monkeybrains technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Monkeybrains partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Tel-One Network ServicesminorAffiliate relationship for providing service when building managers refuse Monkeybrains installation. Uses local legislation (Article 52 in SF, Internet Choice Ordinance in Oakland) to gain access for customers.
- SFMixcoreNetwork peering exchange. Monkeybrains peers with over 50 networks at their 200 Paul Ave data center facility through SFMix.
- AMS-IXcoreAmsterdam Internet Exchange. Monkeybrains peers with networks at their 200 Paul Ave data center facility through AMS-IX international peering exchange.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Monkeybrains competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Comcast (Xfinity): Comcast Xfinity is the dominant cable broadband provider in San Francisco, offering residential and business internet across the Monkeybrains service area. It is the primary incumbent against which Monkeybrains positions its no-contracts/no-data-caps value proposition.
- AT&T: AT&T is a major incumbent telecom offering fiber, DSL, and 5G home internet throughout the Bay Area. It competes with Monkeybrains across residential and SMB segments with substantially more capital and broader product bundling.
Direct peers
- Sonic: Sonic is a California-based independent ISP offering residential and business fiber and DSL service across the Bay Area. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to Monkeybrains in the same geography, competing on price, no-contract terms, and privacy-friendly positioning.
- Etheric Networks: Etheric Networks is a Bay Area fixed-wireless ISP serving residential and business customers using rooftop microwave links. It operates with a similar technical model and customer profile to Monkeybrains in overlapping Bay Area neighborhoods.
- Rise Broadband: Rise Broadband is one of the largest US fixed-wireless ISPs serving residential and business customers, primarily in suburban and rural markets. It is a comparable WISP business model though operating in different geographies.
- Webpass (Google Fiber): Webpass, now part of Google Fiber, offers fixed-wireless and fiber internet to multi-dwelling buildings in San Francisco using rooftop antennas — directly overlapping Monkeybrains' WISP model and MDU focus before its acquisition.
Emerging players
- T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile's 5G fixed-wireless home internet product competes directly with Monkeybrains for residential broadband customers in the Bay Area using cellular spectrum rather than dedicated rooftop equipment.
- Starry Internet: Starry is an emerging fixed-wireless ISP using millimeter-wave technology to deliver home internet in major US metros. It overlaps with Monkeybrains on the fixed-wireless technology thesis and target customer (urban broadband subscribers), though operating at much larger scale.
Others
- Common Networks: Common Networks was a Bay Area fixed-wireless ISP acquired by Monkeybrains in December 2020. It is included as a historical comparable given its prior direct overlap with Monkeybrains on technology and geography.
Regional players
- Cruzio Internet: Cruzio is an independent California ISP headquartered in Santa Cruz providing fiber and fixed-wireless service across parts of the Bay Area and Central Coast. It is a comparable independent ISP with similar size and ethos, though not directly competing in San Francisco.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Monkeybrains social profiles
Digital presenceMonkeybrains compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Monkeybrains financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Monkeybrains leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Monkeybrains funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Monkeybrains M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Monkeybrains
What does Monkeybrains do?
Monkeybrains is a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) that delivers fixed wireless broadband internet to residential and business customers across the San Francisco Bay Area using microwave technology connected to rooftop antennas. The company also offers colocation services at Tier 4 and Tier 2 data center facilities and short-term event bandwidth for venues in San Francisco.
Is Monkeybrains a public or private company?
Monkeybrains is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Monkeybrains founded?
Monkeybrains was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Monkeybrains based?
Monkeybrains is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Monkeybrains make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Residential Internet Service is the primary driver. The others are business Internet Service, colocation Services and event Bandwidth.
Who are Monkeybrains's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Comcast (Xfinity) and AT&T. Direct peers are Sonic, Etheric Networks, Rise Broadband and Webpass (Google Fiber). Emerging players are T-Mobile Home Internet and Starry Internet. Common Networks is listed as an others. Cruzio Internet is listed as a regional player.
Does Monkeybrains have an API?
No public API is recorded for Monkeybrains.
What industry is Monkeybrains in?
Monkeybrains's product category is Fixed Wireless Internet Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAD, Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers, with a secondary code of HDABACAD, Managed Colocation & Remote Hands Services. Its NAICS code is 517112 and its SIC code is 4812.