Spanish startup Sherpa.ai raised $18 million for AI without access to raw data

Spanish (Basque) startup Sherpa.ai has raised $18 million for developing AI technology that does not receive direct access to raw customer data, reports tech.eu.

What the product idea is

Almost all companies today want to benefit from AI, but far from all are willing to transmit their most sensitive data to a foreign cloud to do so. The Basque startup Sherpa.ai offers such a compromise: technology that allows you to train and use AI models without giving them direct access to the customer's raw data.

Who Sherpa.ai's clients are

The company sells its solutions to banks, hospitals, and government structures — organizations from regulated sectors where requirements for protecting personal and confidential data are particularly strict. For such clients, it is fundamentally important that patient, depositor, or citizen data not leave the organization's perimeter even when working with external AI tools.

• New round size — $18 million
• Company location — Basque region of Spain
• Key customer segments — banks, hospitals, government structures
• The investment was first reported by tech.eu

What this means

Sherpa.ai's round reflects growing demand from regulated European industries for "sovereign" AI solutions that do not require uploading sensitive data to clouds of foreign hyperscalers. For banks, hospitals, and government agencies, it's a way to gain the benefits of AI without sacrificing control over data and compliance with local regulator requirements.