Perplexity partners with London startup Valarian to deliver sovereign AI for UK government

Perplexity, an American AI company with over 45 million global users, will collaborate with Valarian, a London startup that raised $50 million in July, to supply sovereign AI solutions to the UK public sector and defence. The partnership lets agencies keep sensitive data on-premises or in isolated environments while still accessing external AI for general research. Valarian’s platform controls model access, data usage, and workload location, addressing concerns about reliance on US Big Tech.

AI minister Kanishka Narayan hailed the deal as evidence of Britain’s growing domestic AI expertise, and Valarian founder Max Buchan stressed the need for organisations to retain full visibility over their data. The move aligns with the UK’s £500 million Sovereign AI Fund and broader calls for billions of pounds in investment to boost homegrown AI capabilities.