Helium

CEO: Amir Haleem

Backed by Google Ventures and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Helium is planning to use its own cryptocurrency to incentivize the buildout of low-power, global IoT networks.

The San Francisco-based startup plans to accomplish this by using blockchain technology to build a decentralized machine network that compensates consumers and businesses who provide connectivity to nearby devices with Helium's gateways.

The company told CRN it will rely on systems integrators like Capgemini and McKinsey as its primary go-to-market strategy. It will also rely on independent software vendors, application developers, makers and hardware manufacturers to provide applications that run on its network.