# Protocol Labs

> Protocol Labs is an open-source research and development company founded in 2014 by Juan Benet. It created foundational decentralized web protocols — IPFS, Filecoin, libp2p, and IPLD — and today operates as an innovation network of 750+ startups, funds, accelerators, and open-source projects across web3, AI, robotics, and neurotechnology. Protocol Labs (protocol.ai) is a research and venture organization and does not publish a first-party commercial REST API; its developer surfaces live in separate open-source projects.

## About
- [Website](https://www.protocol.ai): Company home
- [Work](https://www.protocol.ai/work/): Research areas and initiatives
- [Blog](https://www.protocol.ai/blog/): News and updates
- [Careers](https://www.protocol.ai/join/): Open roles
- [GitHub](https://github.com/protocol): Protocol Labs GitHub organization

## Projects (separate open-source developer surfaces)
- [IPFS](https://ipfs.tech): Content-addressed peer-to-peer hypermedia protocol with HTTP APIs
- [Filecoin](https://filecoin.io): Decentralized storage network with JSON-RPC APIs (Lotus)
- [libp2p](https://libp2p.io): Modular peer-to-peer networking stack
- [IPLD](https://ipld.io): Data model for content-addressed, interoperable protocols

## Network
- [PL R&D](https://plrd.org/): Funds pre-commercial research
- [PL Capital](https://plcapital.xyz/): Venture-scale investments
- [PL Network Directory](https://directory.plnetwork.io/teams): Network organizations