Valarian raises $50M Series A led by NEA

British technology firm Valarian secures $50 million investment to strengthen UK sovereign digital infrastructure.

• Funding brings total investment to $70 million
• NEA's first dual-use investment in Europe
• Praised by UK AI Minister for strengthening Britain's sovereign AI capabilities

British technology company Valarian has secured a $50 million (£37 million) Series A investment, led by US venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA).

This new funding takes Valarian's total investment to $70 million (£52 million) and will accelerate the rollout of the company's UK-sovereign digital architecture across government, defence and enterprise.

It also marks NEA's first defence and dual-use investment in Europe, reflecting growing international confidence in Britain's sovereign technology sector.

NEA, Lightbank, XTX Ventures, Sequel and Litquidity VC, together with angel investors Gokul Rajaram and Nikesh Arora, also participated in the round.

Welcoming the investment, UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan praised Valarian's leading role in helping to build “Britain's sovereign AI capabilities” while keeping “the UK at the frontier of AI development”.

Commenting on the investment, Kanishka Narayan, UK Minister for AI and Online Safety, said: “Today, AI is the defining 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.

“Pioneering British firms like Valarian understand the challenge that's in front of us and are building the solutions that will help us deliver a safer and stronger Britain. Investments like these are helping to keep the UK at the frontier of AI development, and complement the work we're doing through our Sovereign AI Fund, AI Hardware Plan and more to build Britain's AI strengths.”

Why sovereign infrastructure matters now

For years, the ability to retain complete control over critical data, systems and technology was largely limited to defence organisations and a small number of highly regulated institutions. As AI becomes increasingly embedded across government, defence and enterprise, that level of control is becoming essential for a much wider range of organisations.

Valarian delivers sovereign digital infrastructure that enables organisations to retain control over their data and AI. Its core platform, ACRA, allows organisations to deploy AI securely while keeping sensitive data within their own environment. Alongside ACRA, Valarian's wider portfolio of technologies helps organisations govern, secure and scale AI across government, defence and enterprise.

Commenting on the investment, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said: “To strengthen our national security, we need more innovative British companies like Valarian building the technologies that will define our future. This announcement is a strong vote of confidence in the UK's world-leading defence and dual-use technology sector, and in the UK's ability to build the critical capabilities our security and prosperity depend on.”

Commenting on the investment, Max Buchan, CEO and Co-Founder of Valarian, said: “We've always believed Britain has the talent and ambition to be a global leader in AI. To do that, we need to build the sovereign digital infrastructure that allows government, defence and enterprise to adopt AI securely while remaining in control of their own data.

“This investment allows us to accelerate that work, strengthen sovereign AI capabilities and ensure more of the technology underpinning our future is built here in Britain.”

NEA's investment reflects its strategy of backing foundational infrastructure companies as markets demand new infrastructure layers. Its decision to make Valarian its first defence and dual-use investment in Europe underscores growing demand for sovereign AI infrastructure.

Commenting on the investment, Mustafa Neemuchwala, Partner at NEA, said: “The critical question of the AI era isn't which model wins — it's who controls the environment intelligence operates inside. Valarian answers that question with genuine defence-grade architecture. This is NEA's first defence and dual-use investment in Europe, and we made it because Valarian is building the control infrastructure layer the sovereign AI era requires.”

The announcement comes as the UK government places greater emphasis on strengthening Britain's sovereign AI capability, investing in the digital infrastructure needed to support AI adoption and backing British technology companies.

About Valarian

Valarian is a British technology company building secure digital infrastructure for organisations that need to use, analyse and build on sensitive data with advanced AI. Valarian's ACRA platform enables increasingly capable systems, without customers relinquishing ownership, visibility or control of their data. Founded by Max Buchan and Josh McLaughlin, the company is headquartered in London.

About NEA

New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. Founded in 1977, NEA has more than $35 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025, and invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of investing includes more than 285 portfolio company public listings and more than 510 mergers and acquisitions. For more information, visit nea.com.

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