aZen, a scalable computing layer that powers Web3 applications, AI, and data analytics, has secured $1.2 million in seed funding led by Waterdrip Capital to advance its mission of unifying AI computing through decentralized infrastructure. The round was supported by other prominent backers, including DWF Ventures, Rootz Labs, Mindfulness Capital, Attention Ventures, Quantum Leap Lab, DePIN-X, and ODIG.

As an emerging leader in decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN), aZen is building a universal computing fabric to support AI deployment at the edge. By converting idle compute resources into dynamic, fractionalized NFTs and orchestrating them through an AI-driven protocol, aZen delivers scalable, real-time compute for AI agents, dApps, and commercial applications.

With over 500,000 aZen HUB downloads and 360,000 monthly active users, aZen  has already demonstrated market traction, wrapping up its DePIN Lite testnet phase with 80,000+ active nodes.

As geopolitical tensions and export restrictions threaten global access to high-performance chips — exemplified by a looming shortage in specialized chips amid U.S.-China trade restrictions — aZen’s approach offers a timely and resilient alternative. 

By tapping into underutilized edge devices and unifying them through a decentralized framework, aZen sidesteps centralized hardware chokepoints, ensuring scalable compute capacity remains accessible regardless of supply chain volatility. This model not only democratizes AI infrastructure but future-proofs innovation in an increasingly fragmented and resource-constrained world.

aZen is set to launch its mainnet in Q3 2025, advancing its mission to bridge Web2 and Web3 technologies while addressing cost, scalability, and efficiency challenges in AI and blockchain applications. The funding will also accelerate the market rollout of aZen’s flagship product, ZenHive — a next-gen DePIN device that merges Edge AI, Data Analytics, Content Delivery, and Network Acceleration into one commercial-grade unit.

Now integrated with Internet Computer (ICP) — a decentralized Web3 cloud platform — ZenHive can directly utilize ICP’s on-chain computation and storage layer for ultra-fast, cost-efficient AI inference and data processing.

This integration allows ZenHive to leverage ICP’s unique advantages: seamless scalability, fully decentralized architecture, and a reverse gas model that eliminates traditional cloud costs. As a result, AI workloads powered by ZenHive can now operate directly on-chain, with tamperproof execution, lower latency, and unparalleled transparency.

Industries requiring real-time data processing and intelligent automation stand to benefit the most from aZen’s solution. ZenHive is already pioneering mass commercial innovation across social media (enhancing engagement through AI-driven personalization), social commerce (enabling precision-targeted consumer engagement), entertainment (powering recommendation systems), and gaming (identifying high-value players to optimize acquisition).

“This funding validates our vision of unifying computing for Ubiquitous AI,” said Felix Xia, CEO of aZen: “With this investment, we will scale our AI-native infrastructure, optimizing decentralized computing and workload orchestration for next-gen AI applications.”

Waterdrip Capital, the lead investor in the seed round, emphasized its confidence in aZen’s transformative potential. “aZen is bridging decentralized and centralized computing for real-world AI solutions,” said Jademont Zheng, CEO of Waterdrip Capital. “ZenHive proves this vision, delivering scalable AI computing to businesses. We’re proud to support aZen’s innovation.”

aZen has previously established strategic partnerships with numerous industry leaders, including Zenlayer, a Tier 1 IaaS provider with computational resources across 300+ global locations, and Royal Fund LLC, which has made a $40 million equity investment in aZen’s Holding  company. aZen is also collaborating with prominent blockchain ecosystems, including Peaq, ICP, and Swarm