Vangrid Raises $9M Seed to Build a Decentralized Spatial Intelligence Network for Physical AI

Technology Approach

Instead of relying on specialized survey equipment or a fleet of dedicated mapping vehicles, Vangrid leverages the ubiquitous smartphone. The company’s platform processes user-contributed geolocation data through 3D modeling pipelines and on-chain verification, producing trusted spatial data for downstream applications . The network runs on Base, Coinbase’s Layer-2 blockchain .

The Bigger Picture: Physical AI

Vangrid’s mission is to provide the “ground-truth” data required by the emerging field of Physical AI — autonomous robots, drones, sovereign defense systems, and other agents that need accurate real-world awareness to operate safely and effectively . The company describes its goal as building a decentralized "perception grid" that can serve as the backbone for machines and military systems that need real-time, distributed awareness .

Who Is Behind Vangrid?

Vangrid is headquartered in Amsterdam and was founded in July 2025, roughly one year before the seed round . The company is led by CEO Robert Brighton .

The Business Model: DePIN

Vangrid operates as a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) . In this model, users contribute spatial data via their smartphones and are rewarded with tokens, creating a marketplace for spatial intelligence. The collected data is processed and sold to Physical AI developers, including builders of robots, autonomous agents, and defense systems . While the exact tokenomics have not been detailed publicly, the company has indicated plans to launch its native token in the second half of 2026 .

Who Invested?

The $9 million seed round drew participation from a consortium of six prominent crypto-focused investors :

• HashKey Capital
• Borderless Capital
• Crypto.com Capital
• Animoca Brands
• Gate Labs (also listed as M-GATE LABS)
• Mapleblock Capital

A seventh participant, Cypher Capital, has been noted in some reports but is not consistently listed across all outlets covering the round . No lead investor or valuation was disclosed.

Planned Use of Funds

Vangrid has earmarked the capital for three primary objectives :

• Scale the Base-based network and expand its decentralized infrastructure
• Grow the spatial data network by onboarding more data contributors and network nodes
• Expand the team and accelerate platform development

The funding will also support network bootstrapping, expansion of the edge-computation pipeline, and deepening enterprise partnerships across defense and autonomous systems sectors .