About Handshake
Handshake is a Technology company based in San Francisco (United States) founded in 2018 by Andrew Lee. Decentralized protocol for domain name registration and management is provided. It operates on a Blockchain-as-a-Service and Token / Crypto Economy model in Technology and Financial Services sectors. Handshake has raised $10.2 million across 1 funding round from investors including Polychain, Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund. Handshake offers products and services including Handshake Protocol and Handshake Coin (HNS). Its focus areas include Internet Infrastructure and Decentralized Systems. Its competitors include Unstoppable Domains and Eth.id; 1 of its 2 listed competitors has raised funding.
Company details
A decentralized, permissionless naming protocol is operated by Handshake, where peers validate and manage the root DNS naming zone. An alternative to traditional Certificate Authorities is aimed at, addressing vulnerabilities like hacking and censorship. A peer-to-peer system is experimented with to enhance internet security and resilience. Solutions for a decentralized internet are explored, focusing on secure naming and minimal global consensus. The system is designed to resist sybil attacks through economic incentives, using Handshake Coin (HNS) for name registration and transfers. Sectors include internet infrastructure and decentralized technologies.
- Headquarters San Francisco, United States
- Founders Andrew Lee
- SectorsTechnologyFinancial Services
- Email••••••••
- Website handshake.org
- Social X
- Total Equity Funding$10.2M (USD)
in 1 rounds
- Latest Funding Round$10.2M (USD), Series B
Aug 2018
- InvestorsPolychain
& 5 more
Products & Services of Handshake
Handshake offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Handshake Protocol and Handshake Coin (HNS).
A protocol for decentralized internet naming system.
A coin used for name registration transfers.
Funding Insights of Handshake
Handshake has successfully raised a total of $10.2M through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Series B round of $10.2 million completed in August 2018. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $10.2M
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Series B — $10.2M
- First Round $10.2M
(Aug 2018)
- Investors Count 6
All 1 funding rounds of Handshake with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2018 | $10.2M | Series B | – | – |
6 investors in total: 6 institutional.
Investors in Handshake
Handshake has secured backing from 6 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Polychain, Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Venture capital investments in technology sectors are handled by Andreessen Horowitz. | a16z.com | |||
Venture capital investments in technology and defense sectors. | foundersfund.com | |||
Venture capital firm specializing in early-stage tech investments and founder support. | 1965 | greylock.com | ||
Early-stage technology companies receive venture capital investments. | draper.vc | San Mateo, United States | ||
Sequoia Capital is engaged in venture capital investments. | 1972 | sequoiacap.com | ||
Investments in cryptocurrency and blockchain assets are managed by Polychain. | 2016 | polychain.capital | San Francisco, United States |
Investor details for Handshake
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Handshake
1 people are tracked at Handshake (1 in leadership).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Andrew Lee | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Handshake
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Handshake
2 dated milestones of Handshake, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Handshake is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $10.2M.
Competitors of Handshake
Handshake has 2 listed competitors in our database, 1 of them funded. They include Unstoppable Domains and Eth.id.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unstoppabledomains.com | 2018 | San Francisco, United States | $70.03M | 46 | Web3 domains are provided for crypto transactions and decentralized websites. | |
| eth.id | 2018 | Brandon, United States | Personal Web3 profiles for domain name trading are provided. |
Detailed competitors of Handshake
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Web traffic of Handshake
The website of Handshake (handshake.org) receives about 5.2K visits a month.
- Monthly visits5.2K
▲ 64.4% vs previous month
Top companies in Investment & Financial Technology
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Handshake (Investment & Financial Technology) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commission-free trading and investment services are provided by Robinhood. | 2013 | Menlo Park, California, United States | USD 5.58 B | USD 2.98 B | 4,841 | |
Financial data and investment advisory tools are offered online. | 1984 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | USD 91 M | USD 351.25 K | 6 | |
App-based platform for spare change investment | 2012 | Irvine, California, United States | USD 587.84 M | 602 |
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Frequently Asked Questions about Handshake
Handshake was founded in 2018.
Handshake is headquartered in San Francisco, United States. It is registered at San Francisco, California, United States.
Handshake is a funded company, having raised a total of $10.2M across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series B of $10.2M, raised on Aug 2018.
A decentralized, permissionless naming protocol is operated by Handshake, where peers validate and manage the root DNS naming zone. An alternative to traditional Certificate Authorities is aimed at, addressing vulnerabilities like hacking and censorship. A peer-to-peer system is experimented with to enhance internet security and resilience. Solutions for a decentralized internet are explored, focusing on secure naming and minimal global consensus. The system is designed to resist sybil attacks through economic incentives, using Handshake Coin (HNS) for name registration and transfers. Sectors include internet infrastructure and decentralized technologies.
Handshake's top competitors include Unstoppable Domains and Eth.id.
Handshake offers Handshake Protocol and Handshake Coin (HNS).
Handshake has 6 investors. Key investors include Polychain, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Greylock Partners, and Draper Associates.