It produces mobile applications for advertising and marketing purposes such as personalized ad targeting, location tracking, and cryptocurrency brand loyalty programs.

[2] The company was founded as Phunware, Inc. in Austin, Texas, on March 25, 2009, by Alan Knitowski (CEO) and Luan Dang (CTO).

[15] On April 10, 2020, Phunware received $6.1 million in federally backed small business loans from JP Morgan Chase as part of the Paycheck Protection Program.

[19][20] On October 19, 2021, Phunware acquired computer system provider Lyte technology for $10.98 million to support their blockchain research and development efforts.

[22] In November 2024, Phunware partnered with Parscale and his company, Campaign Nucleus, acquiring a controlling share of the voter engagement app "MyCanvass."

This agreement was intended to strengthen Phunware's capabilities in providing voter engagement solutions to clients for advocacy, political campaigns, and fundraising initiatives.

In response, Uber filed suit against Phunware, alleging the software company committed fraud by, among other things, allowing ads for the ride-sharing app to show up on unauthorized third party sites.

"[25] An October 9, 2020, SEC settlement shows that Phunware agreed to pay a total of $6 million—$4.5 million going to Uber—over claims of fraudulent advertising.