📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

This Company Is Building IoT Towers Across the World in the Vein of Nikola Tesla This type of adaptation for broadband, IoT, and telecommunications is another innovative blockchain application.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Europe, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Jaiz Anuar | Getty Images

Nikola Tesla famously envisioned ubiquitous energy supplied via a global network of towers. Although the inventor never realized this dream, one company is building on his legacy with a decentralized approach to Internet of Things (IoT), broadband, and telecommunications.

Recently, Chirp — a blockchain startup specializing in IoT that competes with the likes of Helium — installed its first master IoT gateway, known as the "Blackbird Master Gateway," on a radio tower in the Höxter region of Germany. The installation, similar in many respects to Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower in Long Island, aims to allow thousands of validators to form a network for future IoT users.

This decentralized infrastructure to broadband, IoT, and telecommunications allows participants in the network to connect. In turn, they're rewarded with Chirp's native cryptocurrency.


"Decentralization is our number one principle," Chirp founder and CEO Timothy Kravchunovsky tells Entrepreneur Europe. "We are building the infrastructure for millions of users, and billions of potential devices, to connect."

This approach differs from standard telecommunications because there is no central company, like Verizon or its competitors, controlling the network. The logic is that user data is therefore safer and no single company is profiting from it.

Those who want to participate in Chirp's network can provide coverage and validation by installing an IoT antenna (the "Blackbird") on their home or office that earns rewards in the company's native cryptocurrency. All users form a decentralized infrastructure that connect back to the Blackbird towers like the one in Germany's Höxter region.

Chirp has development gateways in five countries in Europe already, including Switzerland and the Netherlands, but is actively rolling out early-stage infrastructure in the Höxter, Paderborn, and Detmold regions of Germany.

"We believe in giving power to the end consumer," adds Kravchunovsky. "Tesla's vision is alive and well."

Science & Technology

Exploring How Virtual Reality is Changing Startups

Virtual reality's immersive environment is where startup marketing is headed, and early adopters will be the ones who profit.

Starting a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: How T.I. Achieved Massive Entrepreneurship Success in Music and Life

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.

Growing a Business

'Marketing Happy Hour' Podcast Hosts Share the Best Way to Connect With Consumers: 'Think of Social Media Like a First Date'

Brand marketing experts and hosts of the Marketing Happy Hour podcast share tips on how to launch, grow, and make the most out of your small business's online presence.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Starting a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: Founder of Chuck E. Cheese, Atari Discusses Innovation and His Advice to Young People

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.

Business News

Spotify Removes a Key Feature From Its Free Music Listening Tier

The change is unofficial, so far, but social media users on Reddit and X have noticed a cap on using the lyrics feature.