Ârc
Ârc builds foundations that allow great people to drive humanity forwards.
Foundations help - not hinder - great people on their path.
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Foundations are physical places where Ârc controls the rules - ideally almost everything. The first foundations will be small places, in existing infrastructure, where we control things like immigration (access). Later foundations may be large places, built from scratch, where we control regulation, courts, police and more.
Core to Ârc is the belief that the entire world around us - from the house we wake in, to the people we spend our day with - and the country and legal system we live within - impact the quality of our lives and the ability for us to achieve our potential and drive humanity forwards.
We believe that in designing better worlds in these foundations, we can create a high performance humanity, and shine a light on what could be.
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Actions outside of Ârc reverberate into oblivion. You sell your unicorn, pay your taxes, and still have homeless people on your street. That should not - and will not - be the case at Ârc.
Our foundation will create direct, line-of-sight consequences to your actions. Actions that will show the world that not only should we aim higher, but that we can be higher.
Be faster. Be stronger.
That there is a better way.
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Ârc will help you win in every way that matters: wealth, health, purpose and contribution.
Why build Ârc?
Everything is governed.
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Different approaches to governance can yield orders of magnitude difference in outcomes.
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It is hubris to think we have the optimal governance systems.
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We should experiment with new governance models as the rewards are so vast.
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Experimenting with existing governance systems that support millions of citizens is fraught with risk.
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Ârc is building a charter city to take those risks so that the world can benefit from the rewards.
Focus
Ârc is creating a foundation where every individual can be more than they imagined possible.
A foundation that allows every individual to become healthier, wealthier and contribute more to the world than anywhere else.
Ârc does this by:
- Creating the most effective governance and justice system in the world
- Creating the greatest platform for wealth generation in the world
- Having the healthiest population in the world
Ârc - the greatest platform for wealth & health generation, delivered by the greatest governance and justice system in the world.
Experiences
Ârc runs experiences as part of its journey to a charter city. We previously ran a pop-up city in Lisbon, and after its success are running a second in Austin this March.
Pop-up cities take many shapes and forms.
Zuzalu was the first web3 pop-up city, created by Vitalik Buterin.
Ârc, through our partners LEVF & Fora - won the last gitcoin grants round and Vitalik’s financial support for Ârc.
Ârc lisbon
Ârc Lisbon focused on valuable, productive experiences for founders and investors building the future.
We ran an acceleration programme, a bootcamp, a hackathon, brought 43 funds through the doors, had tens of experts deliver workshops and 50+ speakers.
See more, here.
Ârc davos - WEF
Ârc also leads missions for citizens and partners to engage with governments, or to participate in events of economic or cultural significance.
The first of these was our mission to Davos in January 2025.
Join for 2026 where we are co-hosting a series of events to spread the word to the world of the importance of innovation in governance.
Ârc also heads to Dubai in May 2025.
Ârc austin
A pop-up city in Austin where you live, work, and play together.
Ârc Austin is for exceptional individuals striving to push the frontier for humanity, and giving them an environment that helps them succeed.
There are two key parts:
- A residence (2 - 31 March), and
- A summit (3 - 5 March).
Alongside SXSW in Austin, and right after ETHDenver.
Read more below.
Ârc london
July 2025
Ârc will be coming to London in summer 2025. We will have an embassy in zone 1, run a month long immersion programme, accelerate and invest in the best talent, and show London just how much we have to offer - and gain - from the city.
Get in touch now at foundation@â.city to partner.
Innovation
Ârc runs experiences as part of its journey to a charter city. We previously ran a pop-up city in Lisbon, and after its success are running a second in Austin this March.
Pop-up cities take many shapes and forms.
Zuzalu was the first web3 pop-up city, created by Vitalik Buterin.
Ârc, through our partners LEVF & Fora - won the last gitcoin grants round and Vitalik’s financial support for Ârc.
Founders
Ârc is designed for builders - the founders, investors, operators, researchers and scientists that are building the frontier and pushing civilisation forward.
Ârc is creating a platform for builders to achieve more than they can imagine. But we aren't waiting for our city to be finished to help.
Ârc is running acceleration programmes for select founders, leveraging the attention and network of Ârc for their benefit.
Ârc is also investing into strategic projects and exceptional founders.
Thinking
Ârc is creating the greatest platform for wealth & health generation, delivered by the greatest governance and justice system in the world.
To do that, we need to think - to plan, design, workshop test and prototype.
As part of Ârc's journey to a Charter, Ârc hosts foundations, think-tanks, philosophers and scientists and provides them a platform to progress.
We are also increasingly looking to be a platform for research.
experiments
[tbc ]
- A residence (2 - 31 March), and
- A summit (3 - 5 March).
Alongside SXSW in Austin, and right after ETHDenver.
Government
We are looking for a special economic zone to build a city that will bring talent, capital and innovation to your country.
Such a city will be extremely valuable to your nation, and to the world.
We are seeking a minimum of 5 square miles, within 2 hours of an existing international airport to invest tens of billions over the next decade to create one trillion dollars of GDP.
Alongside GDP we aim to act as a research lab for the world's cities, exerpimenting with governance, justice and economics systems so the world does not have to take the risk.
Please reach out to gov@â.city
CONTACT
Please contact our government relations team on:
gov@â.city
requirements
land required
A minimum of 5 square miles.
autonomy required
Autonomy over as great a set of laws and regulations as possible.
connectivity important
Proximity to existing international transportation links, or existing cities or industrial hubs.
Ârc Austin
Ârc Austin is a pop-up city happening in March 2025 in Austin.
It's a space for those building the future to come and immerse themselves in a productive experience designed for their success.
Taking place in downtown Austin, immediately after ETH Denver and alongside SXSW and Edge Austin, it will be the place to be in the world in March.
Ârc has access to a huge space to call home for the month, where everyone will have full coworking facilites with access to stages, workshop and meetings rooms for the official summit and continual unconference activity.
It's not all work. With trips to starbase, the gigafactory, wild swimming at barton springs, nights out at the home of comedy: the mothership, and two-stepping and more on dirty-six.
The Residence
Live and work in Austin for the whole of March:
- Hit the ground running amongst a productive group of founders and investors
- Work together from the Ârc Embassy
- Bring your next project to life, utilize peer expertise, tap into an investor network, or find your next cofounder
- Light acceleration programme and demo-day for selected founders
Live and work in Austin for the whole of March:
The Summit
The schelling point of Ârc Austin: 3 - 5 March:
- Day one: web3, AI & frontier tech
- Day two: governance innovation: charter cities, SEZs, network states & more with Pronomous Capital & Patri Friedman
- Day three: Longevity, Health & Bio
Each day will have a few leading speakers, with activities around these designed to create meaningful connections.
Think workshops and roundtables facilitated by speakers, breakouts for q&a, numerous coffee breaks and networking opportunities without separate sections for 'vips'.
Access passes
Can be bought here.
$500
Month-long access, including:
- Desk in coworking space
- Access to all events, workshops, seminars
- Run your own talks, workshops
- Gym access, and rooftop pool access
- Unlimited coffee, snacks, with beer on tap
- Summit access
$250
Summit access only, 4-6 March only, no desk or other access outside these dates.
Prices are expected to double in February.
Ârc Austin - When
Ârc Austin happens for the whole of March 2025.
Starting on 1 March, we will have soft arrivals through the weekend before our intense summit Monday - Wednesday. SXSW Kicks off on the Friday and runs for almost two weeks, giving endless entertainment.
We will have a showcase/demo-day on the 27th, before a closing weekend and our final day on 31 March.
Key dates:
1 March - Arrival
3 - 5 March - Summit
7 - 15 March - SXSW
31 March - Final Day
For those wanting to stay longer, it is likely we keep a permanent hub in Austin.
Ârc Austin - Where
700 San Jacinto Boulevard
In the beating heart of Downtown Austin - just minutes from the metro and Texas Capitol building.
We have a flexible co-work+ space for 1000+ people with multiple stages available for our summit.
Also: a podcast studio, meeting rooms, phone booths, and a new gym. Unlimited coffee, snacks, wifi and more. All included with access passes.
Ârc Austin - FAQ
If your question is not answered below, reach out to us on:
foundation@â.city
Or reach out to @jamesarc on telegram.
What is Arc?
Arc is building a Charter City.
There are many problems in the world. Almost all of them can be solved with better laws.
But a charter city is not just a way to test a new set of laws.
It’s a way to build an entire new world.
What is a Charter City?
It's a city that operates under a unique legal and governance framework within a country, designed to attract investment, drive economic growth, improve governance and provide many benefits to the host nation.
Examples might include Shenzhen or Prospera.
How do you build a Charter City?
Building a charter city involves negotiating a unique legal framework with the host country, creating business-friendly policies, and setting up independent governance.
Once established, we focus on developing infrastructure, attracting investment, and fostering a thriving community of residents and businesses.
On the path to a Charter City, Ârc runs experiences, like pop-up cities to draw attention to their possibility and importance.
What is a pop-up city?
Pop-up cities take many shapes and forms.
Zuzalu was the first web3 pop-up city, created by Vitalik Buterin. Ârc, alongside our partners LEVF & Fora - won the last gitcoin grants round and Vitalik’s financial support for Ârc.
Pop-up cities typically involve 100+ people living together in a single location for 1month+. They have been happening forever - what is different now is the intention of pop-ups to evolve into actual cities of their own.
What happens at a pop-up city?
Ârc previously ran a pop-up city in Lisbon. Lisbon focused on valuable, productive experiences for founders and investors building the future.
We ran an acceleration programme, a bootcamp, a hackathon, brought 43 funds through the doors, had tens of experts deliver workshops and 50+ speakers. See more, here. Ârc Austin and future pop-ups will similarly be about those in service of our future, and giving them an environment that helps them succeed.
But it's not all work. You are in a fully immersive experience that transcends work to cover your entire life whilst in Austin. From health activities to nights out, you will need to learn when to say no.
Ârc also acts as a foundation for you and other attendees to create and organise anything you want - so we won't know everything that is instore for you until you create it!
Your Foundation
If a city is anything it should be a platform - a foundation for your success.
Ârc has already been leveraged by tens of organisations to deliver events, workshops and even entire month long programmes and at a fraction of the cost and effort.
We win when you win, so help us help you and get in touch:
foundation@â.city
For any enquiries from government or host country representations, please reach us at:
gov@â.city
Email enquiries will be answered within 24 hours.
