This Ex-Palantir Exec Built A $900 Million Privacy-First Cell Network |
John Doyle has his share of doubters. As a former executive at $350 billion surveillance juggernaut Palantir, it’s hard for some to believe he’s building Cape, a new mobile network that’s entirely privacy-first. But Doyle says Cape is neither a front for Palantir nor a honeypot for law enforcement. It’s the opposite: a telecom company that provides calls, texting and data for $99 a month, but won’t sell your data, track your location, or leave you open to surveillance like traditional operators do.
But Doyle and cofounder Nicholas Espinoza, another Palantir alum, had no trouble convincing Silicon Valley investors to get on board. On Thursday, Cape announced a $100 million round co-led by Bain Capital Ventures and IVP, bringing overall funding to $190 million. Previous investors include Andreessen Horowitz and A* Capital. It’s now hit a $900 million valuation, and revenue has exploded from $4.5 million in 2024 to $37 million in 2025. Though Cape doesn’t name its customers, saying it's part of its approach to privacy, previous reports said it had been trialled with the U.S. Navy. The company told Forbes it currently has 31 government contracts, as it seeks to help defense and intelligence agencies avoid data leakage via traditional carriers.
Doyle, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who worked with intelligence agencies at Palantir, is hoping Cape will upend a telecom industry that is rife with cybersecurity problems. Take the Salt Typhoon attacks of........