Nova Labs

The story of Nova Labs is a fascinating journey of adaptation and pioneering spirit in the world of decentralized technology. What began in 2013 as Helium, Inc., co-founded by Amir Haleem, Shawn Fanning, and Sean Carey, was born from a vision to simplify the way devices connect to the internet. The initial focus was on the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) market, a sector plagued by connectivity challenges. For years, the team grappled with building a ubiquitous, global-scale IoT network. The traditional methods proved to be a slow and arduous path. A pivotal moment arrived when the founders realized that a conventional approach wouldn't suffice to build the network at the scale they envisioned. This led to a groundbreaking shift in strategy: harnessing the power of blockchain and cryptocurrency to incentivize a community-driven network buildout. This was the birth of 'The People's Network'.

This new model was revolutionary. Instead of the company building out all the infrastructure itself, it empowered individuals and businesses to deploy their own hotspots and, in return, earn cryptocurrency (HNT) for providing wireless coverage. This decentralized approach proved to be the catalyst for explosive growth. The Helium network expanded at an unprecedented rate, going from 14,000 hotspots to over half a million in just one year, creating the largest LoRaWAN network in the world. In March 2022, to better distinguish the corporate entity from the open-source network it helped create, Helium, Inc. rebranded to Nova Labs. This change clarified the roles, with Nova Labs focusing on developing technologies and services that utilize the Helium Network, which is now governed by the independent Helium Foundation. Today, Nova Labs continues to push the boundaries of decentralized wireless communication, expanding beyond IoT to disrupt the cellular market with Helium Mobile and 5G, staying true to its mission of building a more connected and accessible world, built by the people, for the people.