In an era where data is the new oil, control over artificial intelligence systems has become a strategic imperative. Valarian, a London-based startup, is addressing this critical need by developing a software layer that gives governments and enterprises sovereignty over their AI systems and sensitive data.
Founded by Max Buchan and Josh McLaughlin, Valarian has recently secured a substantial $50 million Series A funding round led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA). This investment marks NEA’s first defense and dual-use investment in Europe and brings Valarian’s total funding to $70 million.
The rise of Valarian and the need for AI sovereignty
Max Buchan, Valarian’s co-founder, has long advocated for infrastructure sovereignty. He observed that Western governments were entrusting their most sensitive operations to American tech giants, potentially losing control over their own intelligence and infrastructure. This concern became even more pressing with the U.S. CLOUD Act, which allows American authorities to compel U.S.-based companies to hand over data they hold anywhere in the world.
Valarian’s software, ACRA, acts as a sealed operating room around AI workloads and sensitive applications. It allows government departments and businesses to continue using Amazon or Microsoft cloud infrastructure while providing control over what data leaves, who touches it, and when. This is crucial for maintaining data sovereignty and ensuring that critical operations remain under the control of the organizations that depend on them.
Valarian’s ACRA: A defense-grade infrastructure layer
ACRA is designed to grant organizations full and absolute control over how their most critical software systems function, access data, and communicate with other platforms. It was originally developed for compartmentalized compute and data operations, primarily catering to government agencies and commercial entities that need to ensure their systems are totally isolated from shared environments.
The platform offers two deployment options: Valarian Enterprise, targeted at commercial operations that need to run AI and other workloads with rigorous control, and Valarian Defense, geared toward national militaries and defense agencies. This dual-focus approach has garnered support from the U.K. government, which has prioritized domestic AI as a strategic imperative.
The importance of sovereign AI infrastructure
Kanishka Narayan, U.K. Minister for AI and Online Safety, emphasized the importance of sovereign AI capabilities. “AI technology has become the main currency of both hard and soft power. To shape our own destiny, in accordance with our values, it is imperative that we build Britain’s sovereign AI capabilities,” he said. Valarian’s technology is seen as a key enabler in achieving this goal.
NEA partner Mustafa Neemuchwala highlighted the strategic importance of Valarian’s infrastructure. “The critical question now isn’t which model wins, but who controls the environment that intelligence operates inside. Valarian answers that question with genuine defense-grade architecture,” he said. This underscores the growing recognition of the need for sovereign control over AI systems.
The geopolitical context and Valarian’s timely solution
Valarian’s rise coincides with several geopolitical developments that underscore the urgency of its mission. European defense spending hit $447 billion last year, reflecting the continent’s growing investment in modern AI-driven systems. However, this reliance on AI has also raised concerns about the potential risks of dependence on a handful of dominant U.S.-based firms.
Recent events, such as the Trump administration’s decision to cut off Anthropic’s access abroad, have highlighted the vulnerabilities inherent in relying on foreign-controlled AI systems. Buchan noted that infrastructure sovereignty shifted from an abstract policy debate to a live emergency when the president of another country could shut off access to critical AI models.
Valarian’s solution addresses these concerns by providing a foundational infrastructure layer that enforces sovereignty over modern, AI-powered software environments. This is particularly important for defense organizations and regulated institutions that have historically favored bespoke, on-premises environments to enable sovereign-level control.
As AI becomes increasingly critical to modern computer systems, the need for similar levels of control over this technology is pressing. Valarian’s ACRA platform is designed to meet this need, providing organizations with the tools they need to build computing environments that cannot take any chances.
