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§ Private Profile · Palo Alto, CA, USA
A decentralized storage network using blockchain technology to provide secure data storage and a marketplace for Web3 projects.
Filecoin has raised $120K across 1 funding round.
Key people at Filecoin.
Filecoin was founded in 2014 by Juan Benet (Founder).
Filecoin has raised $120K in total across 1 funding round.
Filecoin is a globally distributed, decentralized storage network built on the InterPlanetary File System that utilizes blockchain technology to create a global marketplace for secure data storage. The platform incentivizes independent third-party storage providers with its native cryptocurrency token, FIL, to offer server space and continuously verify data integrity across the distributed network. The project initially gained significant market traction through a highly successful 2017 initial coin offering that raised $257 million from prominent institutional venture backers including Sequoia, Y Combinator, and Polychain Capital. Following its official mainnet launch in 2020, the broader ecosystem has expanded significantly, with the independent Filecoin Foundation recently distributing 500,000 FIL tokens to support over 200 Web3 development projects in 2025. Filecoin was originally founded in 2017 by Juan Benet through his established research and development company, Protocol Labs.
Filecoin was founded in 2014 by Juan Benet (Founder).
Filecoin has raised $120K in total across 1 funding round.
Filecoin's investors include Audrey Capital, Batalion Capital, BDC Venture Capital, Bond, BoxGroup, DHVC (Digital Horizon Capital), Digital Currency Group, Evolve VC, FJ Labs, Foundation Capital, Founder Collective, iNovia Capital.
Key people at Filecoin.
Filecoin has raised $120K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $120K Seed in July 2014.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2026 | Akave | $6.7M Seed | — | Matias A., BIG Brain Holdings, Blockchain Builders Fund, GIN Chao, Protocol Labs |
| Apr 1, 2024 | Prime Intellect | $6.0M Seed | CoinFund, Distributed Global | Angel Investor, Mechanism Capital, Polygon Labs, Julian KOH, Rand Hindi, Andrew Kang, BEN Fielding, Clément Delangue, Dcbuilder, DCF GOD, Dylan Patel, Erik Voorhees, Fabian0x, Garrett Gmoney, Janine Leger, JOE Lallouz, Juan Benet, Justin Mares, Paul Kohlhaas, Riva Melissa TEZ, Robert Drost, Sami Kassab, Scott Moore, Seven W., Shivani, Tyler Golato, Yonatan BEN Shimon, Collab+Currency, Metamorphic Ventures, Protocol Labs |
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2014 | $120K Seed | — | Audrey Capital, Batalion Capital, BDC Venture Capital, Bond, BoxGroup, Dhvc (digital Horizon Capital), Digital Currency Group, Evolve VC, FJ Labs, Foundation Capital, Founder Collective, Inovia Capital, Jump Capital, Math Venture Partners, Path Ventures, Precursor Ventures, SOSV, The HIT Forge, Winklevoss Capital, Adam Foroughi, Ding Zhou, Matt Brezina | Announced |
Filecoin is a decentralized storage network designed to store humanity’s most important information by transforming unused hard drive space into a global, resilient, and secure marketplace. The network verifies that data is stored securely through cryptographic proofs and incentivizes storage providers—called miners—with its native FIL token. For an investment firm, Filecoin represents a mission-driven, infrastructure-layer play in the decentralized web, with a philosophy centered on open protocols, data permanence, and censorship resistance. Its key sectors include decentralized cloud storage, Web3 infrastructure, and distributed applications. Filecoin’s impact on the startup ecosystem is profound: it enables startups to build without reliance on centralized cloud providers, lowers barriers to entry, and fosters innovation in data storage, privacy, and digital sovereignty.
Filecoin was founded by Protocol Labs, led by Juan Benet, in 2017. The idea emerged from the limitations of centralized cloud storage—high costs, single points of failure, and vulnerability to censorship. Building on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), Filecoin introduced an incentive layer to reward miners for storing and verifying data. Early traction came from its successful token sale and the rapid growth of its global network of storage providers. The network’s evolution has been marked by protocol upgrades, a growing ecosystem of developers, and adoption by leading research institutions and enterprises.
Filecoin is riding the wave of decentralization, a trend accelerated by growing concerns over data privacy, censorship, and the monopolization of cloud infrastructure. The timing is critical as more organizations seek alternatives to centralized providers, and as Web3 and distributed applications demand robust, permissionless storage solutions. Market forces—including the rise of AI, big data, and regulatory scrutiny of data monopolies—are working in Filecoin’s favor. Its influence extends beyond storage, shaping the foundation of a more open, resilient, and user-controlled internet.
Filecoin is poised to become the backbone of decentralized data storage, with continued protocol improvements, deeper integration with Web3, and expanding use cases in AI, research, and enterprise. As data becomes increasingly valuable and regulated, Filecoin’s model of verifiable, decentralized storage will be essential. Its influence will grow as more startups and institutions adopt its infrastructure, reinforcing its mission to preserve humanity’s most important information in a secure, open, and resilient way. Filecoin’s journey is just beginning, and its impact on the future of the web will be profound.
