B3IQ secures $21 million to rent-to-own AI GPU rigs for privacy-focused researchers

B3IQ, founded in 2024 by Daryl Xu, Viktoriya Hying and Sean Geng after a stint at Coinbase, has shifted from video-game hardware to AI compute services. The company’s rent-to-own scheme lets researchers pay a 30% deposit for GPU rigs—such as a frontier-level Nvidia H200 system priced at $54,516—and spread the balance over five years, addressing grant budgeting constraints. By providing dedicated machines, B3IQ enables compliance with health-privacy regulations like HIPAA and avoids reliance on overseas cloud providers.

Users may install the hardware locally or have it housed in the firm’s 27,000-square-foot Oregon facility, and can optionally list idle capacity for resale to vetted third parties. Early adopters include scholars at the University of Hawaii, New York University, Stanford and Dartmouth, with the startup targeting broader university procurement deals. Backed by $21 million from investors including Pantera and Coinbase Ventures, B3IQ forecasts $50 million in revenue this year and is preparing a larger Series A round.