Haste

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Haste was a network software company focused on improving internet performance for the competitive gaming market. The company was established by co-founders including Taric Mirza, a competitive gamer with over 20 years of web-based software development experience who identified the need for the product while playing League of Legends. Haste's primary offering was a software client designed to optimize internet connections for a more reliable and live interactive experience, specifically targeting the esports community.

Haste's technology was engineered to address the inherent issues of the public internet, which is not designed for real-time, two-way applications. The platform utilized a custom-built network infrastructure, including private fiber optic links and a mesh network of relay servers, to re-route gaming traffic. This proprietary system aimed to reduce network latency (ping), stabilize ping to prevent erratic fluctuations, and minimize packet loss, which can disrupt gameplay. By running in the background, the software would automatically optimize the connection for supported games, providing players with a more reactive, stable, and reliable network link to game servers. The service supported over 20 major esports titles and was available for PC users in the US. The business model was subscription-based, offering a free trial period after which users could upgrade to Haste Pro for a monthly fee to continue receiving the optimization service.

Throughout its operation, Haste was a venture-capital-backed company, securing multiple funding rounds, including a Series A in November 2015. The company gained traction through targeted marketing, particularly by partnering with micro-influencers within the League of Legends and Overwatch communities to build credibility and awareness. This strategy proved effective, contributing significantly to user sign-ups during its open beta phase. In June 2021, Haste was acquired by ExitLag, another entity in the network optimization space. Following this, a new venture called Haste Arcade emerged in 2021, co-founded by Joe De Pinto and Dan Wagner. This Los Angeles-based company leverages blockchain technology to offer an Instant Leaderboard Payout (ILP) gaming platform, creating a different business model centered around micropayments and play-to-earn mechanics.

Keywords: network optimization, lag reduction, esports, online gaming, ping stabilization, packet loss, network software, latency, internet performance, gaming connection, subscription service, ExitLag, Haste Arcade, Taric Mirza, venture capital, PC gaming, network infrastructure, real-time applications, influencer marketing, Atlanta startup