German-based AI startup Aleph Alpha has raised over $500 million in a Series B funding round, the company announced today. The substantial investment positions the company as a leader in developing sovereign AI capabilities in Europe.
The round was led by Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (Ipai), Bosch Ventures, and Schwarz Group. Other new investors include SAP, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Christ&Company Consulting, and Burda Principal Investments.
The funding will allow Aleph Alpha to advance its research into foundational AI models. It also aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of the company's explainable and trustworthy generative AI technologies for business-critical applications.
"With this latest investment, we will continue to enhance our capabilities and enable our partners to be at the forefront of this technological development," said Aleph Alpha CEO Jonas Andrulis.
Founded in 2019, Aleph Alpha supplies AI solutions to enterprise and government customers. Its focus is on maintaining data privacy, security and transparency. This allows customers, particularly in regulated industries like healthcare and finance, to benefit from AI while maintaining control and understanding of its decision-making.
The significant investment highlights the importance of advancing sovereign AI capabilities in Europe. As large language models rapidly advance, led by companies like OpenAI and Anthropic in the US, some worry about reliance on foreign AI providers.
Dr. Tanja Rückert of Bosch commented, "Actively developing Generative AI will be crucial for Europe's technological sovereignty."
Aleph Alpha combines its commitment to sovereign AI with partnerships and interfaces tailored for business-critical use cases. This made it an attractive investment for both Germany-based and international companies.
With its new funding and supporters, Aleph Alpha is poised to scale globally while upholding its vision of keeping generative AI explainable and trustworthy. As Jonas Andrulis stated, "Our partners are industry leaders that offer huge potential for innovation and scale, and we are committed to building these partnerships."
The investment exemplifies the substantial bets being made on AI across the startup ecosystem. It also highlights the possibilities for growth and leadership in AI development outside the US and China. Aleph Alpha's distinct approach may well make Germany a hub for sovereign yet powerful AI applications in Europe.