Pimlico

Pimlico operates as a crucial infrastructure layer for the Ethereum blockchain, specifically focusing on the transition to smart contract wallets through account abstraction. The company was established in London, United Kingdom, in 2023 by Kristof Gazso. Gazso, who also serves as the CEO, co-authored the ERC-4337 proposal, a key standard for enabling smart accounts on Ethereum, which demonstrates his deep-rooted expertise in the field.

The firm's business model is centered on providing tools and services for developers and decentralized applications (dApps). It offers a suite of products, including Bundlers that relay smart account transactions and Paymasters that handle gas fee sponsorships. This allows dApp developers to offer a more streamlined user experience by abstracting away complexities like gas fees, which can be sponsored by the application or paid with ERC-20 tokens like USDC. The company operates on a pay-as-you-go model, providing flexibility for startups, and also offers tailored enterprise plans.

Pimlico's core service is an account abstraction infrastructure platform that makes it easier to build and deploy user-friendly dApps. Key features include tools for sponsoring transactions, subsidizing minting fees, and accepting credit card payments for blockchain transactions. The platform provides advanced debugging tools, analytics, and supports over 100 chains, including major ones like Ethereum, Base, and Polygon. Additionally, Pimlico develops and maintains `permissionless.js`, a TypeScript library designed to help developers build wallets and dApps using smart accounts.

The company has achieved significant financial milestones since its inception. It secured $1.6 million in a pre-seed round in September 2023, led by 1confirmation with participation from Safe, Consensys, and several angel investors. This was followed by a larger $4.2 million seed round in November 2023, led by the prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). This funding is intended to accelerate the development of its platform and expand its team.

Keywords: account abstraction, ERC-4337, smart contract wallets, Ethereum infrastructure, blockchain developer tools, gas fee sponsorship, paymasters, bundlers, decentralized applications, dApps, Web3 infrastructure, Kristof Gazso, Andreessen Horowitz, 1confirmation, permissionless.js, crypto UX, blockchain payments, smart accounts, EVM-compatible chains, transaction relaying