Networks for Humanity
Networks for Humanity (NFH) is a global non-profit that builds open, interoperable digital infrastructure protocols — Finternet for cross-border finance and Beckn for multi-sector value exchange — serving governments, regulators, financial institutions, and businesses through grant-funded digital public goods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDover, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Networks for Humanity does
Networks for Humanity (NFH) is a global non-profit initiative that designs, tests, and scales open, interoperable, and decentralized digital infrastructure intended to function as universal digital public goods. The organization is built around two flagship mission protocols: Finternet, which envisions a global financial internet for trusted, programmable, and interoperable movement of financial assets across borders and platforms; and Beckn, an open-network protocol that enables value discovery, negotiation, contracting, and fulfillment across sectors including commerce, mobility, health, and local services. Both protocols rest on a shared credential and trust infrastructure for identity verification and trust, and are governed through a multi-stakeholder, vendor-neutral model. A third offering, the C:>DIR platform, is a global policy-convening initiative that brings together regulators, policymakers, innovators, and researchers to address the widening innovation delta and strengthen digital governance in Emerging Market and Developing Economies.
NFH is led by co-founders Dr. Pramod Varma (Chief Architect of Aadhaar and UPI, co-creator of Beckn and Finternet), Sujith Nair (CEO of Beckn Labs), and Siddharth Shetty (CEO of Finternet Labs), with Nandan Nilekani serving as Co-founder and Patron. The organization operates as a non-network of global labs with offices in Dover (USA, listed primary address), Singapore (regional HQ), Bangalore (engineering and R&D), San Francisco, and New York, with a Switzerland (Zug) office in progress. NFH does not sell products or services; instead, it relies on institutional funding, philanthropic grants, and contributions of expertise and intellectual property from partners including Google.org, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Asian Development Bank, and Spectrum Impact.
Networks for Humanity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Networks for Humanity
- Legal name
- Networks for Humanity
- Website
- https://networksforhumanity.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Networks for Humanity (NFH) is a global non-profit that builds open, interoperable digital infrastructure protocols — Finternet for cross-border finance and Beckn for multi-sector value exchange — serving governments, regulators, financial institutions, and businesses through grant-funded digital public goods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Networks for Humanity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dover
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Networks for Humanity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Funding and Grants: NFH operates as a global non-profit initiative and relies on funding from institutions that share its vision. Institutions collaborate on pilots, research, and governance. The organization accepts contributions of funding, expertise, or intellectual property.
- Philanthropic/Donor Support: NFH accepts donations to support creation of global digital public goods. Individual donors and foundations contribute to scaling open networks responsibly.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Networks for Humanity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Networks for Humanity (NFH) is a global non-profit initiative that designs and scales open, interoperable, and decentralized digital infrastructure protocols for the AI era. Its two flagship missions are Finternet, a global financial internet enabling trusted, programmable, and interoperable cross-border movement of financial assets, and Beckn, an open network protocol allowing value to be discovered, negotiated, contracted, and fulfilled across sectors such as commerce, mobility, health, and local services. The organization also runs C:>DIR, a global policy-convening platform that brings regulators, policymakers, innovators, and researchers together to shape digital governance, particularly in Emerging Market and Developing Economies.
Product overview
Networks for Humanity (NFH) is a global non-profit initiative that provides open, interoperable, and decentralized digital infrastructure for the AI era. The organization operates through two flagship mission products — Finternet (a global financial internet enabling seamless cross-border asset movement) and Beckn (an open-network protocol for value exchange across sectors) — both underpinned by a credential and trust infrastructure. Additionally, C:\>DIR serves as a policy-convening platform. Together, these products form the foundations of an emerging "internet of value" where anything of value can be represented, discovered, and exchanged seamlessly.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Finternet: A vision for a global financial internet that empowers individuals and businesses with direct control over storing and moving their assets through trusted, programmable and interoperable systems.
- Beckn
- C:\>DIR
- DeDi Global
Products and services
- Finternet Finternet is NFH's vision for a global financial internet — a trusted, programmable, and interoperable network that puts individuals and businesses at the center of their financial ecosystem. It connects diverse networks, lowers barriers between institutions and users, and enables financial assets to move seamlessly and securely across borders and platforms. It is intended for adoption by governments, financial institutions, and regulators as open digital public infrastructure.
- Beckn Beckn is an open-network protocol that enables people and businesses to move and exchange value effortlessly using open networks as the universal digital infrastructure. Value can be discovered, negotiated, contracted, and fulfilled between two parties seamlessly across sectors, including commerce, mobility, health, and local services. It is targeted at digital platforms, service providers, and developers building interoperable ecosystems.
- C:>DIR C:>DIR is NFH's global policy-convening platform shaping the Future of Regulation in the Era of Digital Innovation. It brings regulators, policymakers, innovators, and researchers together to address the widening innovation delta and strengthen digital governance, with a focus on Emerging Market and Developing Economies. It operates as a neutral convening authority across sectors and jurisdictions.
Companies that use Networks for Humanity
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Networks for Humanity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Networks for Humanity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Nandan NilekanicoreNandan Nilekani is a Co-founder and Patron of NFH. As co-founder of Infosys and founding chairman of UIDAI, he led the creation of Aadhaar and has been central to India's digital public infrastructure including UPI and ONDC. He now champions global open systems through NFH.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Networks for Humanity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Linux Foundation: Largest open-source foundation hosting Hyperledger (blockchain finance) and other financial infrastructure projects. Broader incumbent in open-protocol governance for finance and digital infrastructure with established multi-stakeholder governance models.
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): International standards organization for the World Wide Web. Comparable as an open, vendor-neutral standards body with multi-stakeholder governance that outlasts market cycles—a model NFH explicitly aims to replicate for value exchange.
Direct peers
- iSPIRT (India Stack): Volunteer-driven organization behind India's DPI ecosystem including Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC. Closely related ecosystem with overlapping founders and similar open-protocol philosophy for digital public infrastructure.
- Mojaloop Foundation: Open-source platform for interoperable digital financial services focused on financial inclusion in emerging markets. Directly comparable to NFH's Finternet mission of interoperable cross-border financial asset movement using open protocols.
- ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce): India's open protocol for digital commerce enabling interoperable value exchange across platforms. Directly comparable to NFH's Beckn protocol in mission, architecture, and multi-stakeholder governance, with overlapping founder ecosystem.
- Digital Public Goods Alliance: Multi-stakeholder initiative promoting digital public goods aligned with the UN SDGs. Shares NFH's mission of open, interoperable digital infrastructure for global inclusion and represents a potential collaboration pathway.
Emerging players
- Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE): UK-based entity that develops open banking standards and APIs for financial data sharing. Comparable in mission to Finternet's vision for interoperable financial infrastructure, though focused on a specific regulatory regime rather than EMDEs.
- ID2020 Alliance: Global alliance advancing digital identity for inclusion in underserved populations. Complementary to NFH's Credential and Trust Infrastructure powering Finternet and Beckn protocols, with overlapping target beneficiaries.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Networks for Humanity social profiles
Digital presenceNetworks for Humanity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Networks for Humanity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Networks for Humanity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Networks for Humanity 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 Networks for Humanity
What does Networks for Humanity do?
Networks for Humanity (NFH) is a global non-profit initiative that designs and scales open, interoperable, and decentralized digital infrastructure protocols for the AI era. Its two flagship missions are Finternet, a global financial internet enabling trusted, programmable, and interoperable cross-border movement of financial assets, and Beckn, an open network protocol allowing value to be discovered, negotiated, contracted, and fulfilled across sectors such as commerce, mobility, health, and local services. The organization also runs C:>DIR, a global policy-convening platform that brings regulators, policymakers, innovators, and researchers together to shape digital governance, particularly in Emerging Market and Developing Economies.
Is Networks for Humanity a public or private company?
Networks for Humanity is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Networks for Humanity founded?
Networks for Humanity was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Networks for Humanity based?
Networks for Humanity is headquartered in Dover, United States, in the North America region.
How does Networks for Humanity make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Institutional Funding and Grants are the primary driver. The others are philanthropic/Donor Support.
Who are Networks for Humanity's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Linux Foundation and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Direct peers are iSPIRT (India Stack), Mojaloop Foundation, ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and Digital Public Goods Alliance. Emerging players are Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) and ID2020 Alliance.
Does Networks for Humanity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Networks for Humanity.