OPAQUE acquires cryptographic AI technologies from the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, expanding its confidential AI platform across the full machine learning lifecycle. The acquisition, completed on May 4, 2026, adds two critical capabilities: confidential model training using multi-party computation and fully homomorphic encryption, along with post-quantum cryptographic protections.
The transaction marks the first time cryptographic AI technologies developed in the UAE have been acquired and deployed at scale by a U.S. technology company. OPAQUE, founded by researchers from UC Berkeley’s RISELab and headquartered in San Francisco, now supports artificial intelligence workflows across training, fine-tuning, inference, and agent execution on a single platform.
Extending AI Across Sensitive Data
Enterprises hold vast amounts of sensitive data—patient records, financial transactions, classified intelligence, and proprietary research—that could transform their AI capabilities. Using that data across the full AI lifecycle previously required stitching together multiple point solutions from different vendors, each covering a different phase. This created gaps, complexity, and compliance risks.
OPAQUE’s acquired technology eliminates those gaps. The platform delivers verifiable guarantees at every stage, supported by post-quantum cryptography designed to protect workloads against current and future threats. For example, ServiceNow runs OPAQUE in production to expand AI capabilities to enterprise customers without exposing their data. Healthcare systems can now train diagnostic models on patient data across jurisdictions, run inference across facilities, and deploy AI agents on live clinical data—all on a single integrated platform.
Hardware-Enforced Cryptographic Guarantees
OPAQUE’s architecture roots cryptographic enforcement in hardware rather than vendor trust. Customer data, including data processed by sovereign AI programs and regulated enterprises, remains protected by Trusted Execution Environments and verifiable attestation that even OPAQUE itself cannot access. This enables deployment on sovereign cloud infrastructure worldwide with cryptographic proof of data residency, allowing national AI programs to adopt confidential AI while maintaining on-soil data control and jurisdictional sovereignty.
The platform generates hardware-attested evidence aligned with SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, GDPR Article 32, and EU AI Act high-risk obligations. This demonstrates that data remained private, policies were enforced, and regulatory requirements were met across all phases of AI deployment.
Deployment Speed and Market Position
The acquisition follows OPAQUE’s $24 million Series B funding at a $300 million valuation. The company’s customer base includes ServiceNow, Anthropic, Accenture, and Encore Capital. With the acquired technology, OPAQUE supports confidential AI workflows that move enterprises and sovereign AI programs from isolated experiments to production deployment 4-5 times faster than previous approaches.
Dr. Najwa Aaraj, Chief Executive Officer of TII, stated that the organization developed these cryptographic technologies to address a fundamental challenge in AI: enabling advanced models to work with highly sensitive data without compromising confidentiality or trust. According to Aaraj, OPAQUE was the right partner because it already built the enterprise platform and customer base to deploy the technology at scale.
Strategic Value for Abu Dhabi and the UAE
For TII and the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), this transaction validates a deliberate strategy: invest in foundational cryptography research, prove it on world-class large language models, then deliver it globally through partners with the platform and customer base to scale it. Foundational AI technology developed in Abu Dhabi will now be deployed across financial services, healthcare, government, and enterprise software on every continent.
The announcement was amplified at Make it in the Emirates 2026, underscoring the journey of Abu Dhabi-developed technology from UAE laboratories to international deployment. The transaction reinforces the UAE’s growing role as a producer of advanced technologies built locally and adopted globally.
