Valarian Raises $50M Series A led by NEA

Valarian, a British technology company building sovereign intelligence, led by Max Buchan, Josh McLaughlin, and the team, has raised a $50 million (£37 million) Series A investment, led by US venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Lightbank, XTX Ventures, Sequel and Litquidity VC, together with angel investors Gokul Rajaram and Nikesh Arora, also participated in the round.

“AI is becoming a defining force in global influence and competitiveness, making it essential for the UK to build sovereign AI capabilities,” said Kanishka Narayan, UK Minister for AI and Online Safety. “Companies like Valarian are developing solutions that strengthen national AI capabilities, while investments of this kind help keep the UK at the forefront of AI innovation.”

As AI becomes increasingly embedded across government, defence, and enterprise, controlling critical data, systems, and technology infrastructure is becoming a strategic priority. Valarian is building sovereign digital infrastructure that enables organisations to deploy AI securely while keeping control of their data and systems.

Its core platform, ACRA, allows organisations to run AI within their own environments, supported by a broader portfolio designed to help governments, defence organisations, and enterprises govern, secure, and scale AI adoption.

“The AI era is not only about which models succeed, but who controls the environment where intelligence operates,” said Mustafa Neemuchwala, Partner at NEA. “Valarian is building the control infrastructure layer required for sovereign AI.”

The investment reflects growing demand for sovereign AI capabilities as governments and enterprises seek secure ways to adopt AI while maintaining control over critical technology and data.