Here Not There Labs

Here Not There Labs (HNT) is a developer of Web3-based communication protocol called Towns. Towns is an end-to-end encrypted chat infrastructure available via APIs that allows communities to create programmable and self-governed “town squares,” which enable users to meet, communicate, and keep complete control of communities without interference or issues from the app owner such as blocking access, profiting from user activities, or changing user rights.

Towns are powered by smart contracts that are extendable, composable, and upgradeable, allowing communities to define their own rules for moderation, access, and monetization. Initially, Towns would operate in a proof-of-authority (variant of proof-of-stake) network run by HNT and its partners. However, the protocol would gradually decentralize, with the company planning to develop a decentralized backend that would enable anyone to run its node.

As of March 2023, Towns was in alpha testing stage, and was intended to be launched on the Ethereum blockchain. It would utilize Ethereum for user identity and gating based on wallets, while it would also utilize Ethereum-focused layer-2 networks for backend transactions to keep costs low for users. As of the same date, HNT Labs was also developing its own chatting app.

Funding and financials

HNT raised USD 25 million in a Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz in February 2023. It had planned to use the new funds to build its Web3 group chat protocol and app, Towns.