Amir Haleem

Amir Haleem is the CEO and cofounder of Helium Systems. Prior to Helium Systems, Haleem was the cofounder and CTO of gaming startup Diversion in 2010. From 2003 to 2013, Haleem was also a founding employee and director at the Global Gaming League (GGL), which was an American eSports League. Haleem began his career as a member of the original team behind Battlefield 1942 at DICE in Stockholm, Sweden in 1999.

Haleem cofounded Helium Systems in June 2013 with Shawn Fanning and Sean Carey, and he also serves as Chairman. According to Haleem, Helium Systems was born from many conversations with Napster founder, Shawn Fanning, after the two met in 2005. They wanted to recreate the peer-to-peer model of Napster with wireless networks and without the risk of breaking laws like Napster did.

Helium Systems is a San Francisco-based wireless network and blockchain company developing a peer-to-peer wireless network which the company calls The People's Network. Helium Systems Hotspots, which are wireless devices powered by the Helium Blockchain, mine HNT, the Helium Token, as an incentive for expanding and strengthening wireless coverage. Hosts receive HNT whenever their Hotspots provide coverage and transfer device data. In February 2022, the Helium cryptocurrency had a market cap of over $2.5 billion and close to 600,000 Helium Systems Hotspots. Helium Systems closed its latest $200 million funding round at a valuation of $1.2 billion.

Haleem worked on a BS in artificial intelligence at the University of Manchester from 1998-1999. During college, Haleem became one of the top pro eSports gamers on Quake. He dropped out of college and moved to Stockholm, Sweden to work on the original Battlefield 1942 team.

Haleem grew up in England. His father was an employee of early personal computer company Commodore International, which gave Haleem access to an at-home computer and the internet at a young age, before there were any internet browsers. His first computer was a Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor), and his father taught him programming. Haleem attributes his dad giving him access to computers and the internet at an early age to his success later with computers, gaming, and internet technology.

Haleem lives in San Francisco. Outside of work, Haleem is a former world champion eSports gamer, cofounder of the popular esports community esreality.com, and builds and races 90s Japanese sports cars.