ARO Network, a startup specializing in decentralized edge computing for artificial intelligence (AI) and content delivery, has successfully secured $2.1 million in pre-seed funding. This financing round was co-led by Dispersion Capital and NoLimit Holdings, with contributions from Escape Velocity, Maelstrom, and various strategic angel investors. The funds will facilitate the expansion of ARO’s peer-to-peer edge cloud network, focusing on early-stage adoption and development.
The vision of ARO Network is to reshape internet infrastructure by utilizing a decentralized edge cloud model that relies on individual contributors rather than centralized data centers. They aim to transform underutilized internet bandwidth and computing power into a scalable peer-to-peer content delivery network (PCDN), which can efficiently handle both content delivery and AI workloads, ensuring low latency and cost-effective operations.
The underlying architecture of ARO’s platform builds on successful past implementations in latency-sensitive environments, where similar systems achieved notable scalability and commercial viability. A previous network that operated on comparable principles boasted over 1.5 million active nodes and generated annual revenues of $140 million. ARO plans to leverage this tested model in developed markets, presenting itself as a next-generation alternative to traditional content delivery networks (CDNs).
Adam Farhat, the Head of Marketing at ARO Network, emphasized the company’s broader mission, stating, "Our vision goes beyond latency and cost optimization – we’re redefining who owns the internet." He noted that the latest funding demonstrates the commercial viability and technical feasibility of decentralized infrastructure. ARO is determined to scale an enterprise-grade P2P CDN for an open internet.
Investors view ARO’s strategy as timely, addressing the rising demand for decentralized computational infrastructure. Patrick Chang, Managing Partner at Dispersion Capital, remarked, "CDN is the Trojan horse of decentralized edge computing," noting that ARO possesses the right technology and the perfect timing to spearhead this transformation. Malcolm, General Partner at NoLimit Holdings, affirmed, “[ARO] significantly reduces latency and operating costs, providing value to both Web2 and Web3 ecosystems.”
With the newly acquired investment, ARO Network is poised to launch its testnet, expand the deployment of hardware and software nodes, and increase its contributor base through the Aronaut Pioneers Program. This program incentivizes early adopters by allowing them to provide bandwidth and compute resources using the ARO Pod or ARO Client, offering rewards and the chance to contribute feedback while helping to scale the network during its initial rollout.
In addition, ARO is working on deeper integrations with various modular and infrastructure-native protocols such as EigenLayer, Base, and IoTex, aligning its efforts with the broader decentralized ecosystem. The company has strategic intentions to target areas like Southeast Asia and Latin America, where conventional CDNs often struggle to maintain dense edge coverage.
Salvador Gala, co-founder of Escape Velocity, stated, “ARO Network is reshaping the infrastructure layer of the internet,” highlighting the significance of its community-driven model in decentralizing the delivery of computing power and content. Currently, ARO’s early-access PreviewNet is live, offering contributors the opportunity to earn “Jade” rewards and the chance to ascend the community leaderboard. A competitive referral initiative is also being conducted, with top participants eligible to win recognition and a reward pool, including a $30,000 prize for the leading contributor.
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