AI Startup 1001 Raises $30 Million to Build Sovereign AI in GCC

GCC- and London-based AI startup 1001 has raised $30 million in a Series A funding round to expand its sovereign AI platform for critical infrastructure operators across the Gulf.

The round was led by Lux Capital, with participation from Sanabil Investments, Hanabi, 9Yards, General Catalyst, CIV and Stanford AI researcher Chris Ré, alongside regional and international angel investors.

Founded in 2025 by Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh, 1001 develops sovereign AI operating systems that sit above existing infrastructure platforms to model assets, processes, dependencies and operational constraints. The company says the platform is designed to predict operational issues, recommend or automate decisions, and ensure AI systems remain locally owned and governed.

Its technology is intended for sectors including aviation, ports and logistics, energy, manufacturing and industrial operations, where operators manage complex, high-value infrastructure.

According to McKinsey, wider adoption of artificial intelligence could contribute as much as $150 billion to GCC economies, equivalent to around 9% of the region's combined GDP.

The company said the new funding will be used to expand its engineering team and strengthen its commercial, sales and go-to-market operations across key GCC markets.

The latest investment follows a $9 million seed round completed in October 2025, led by CIV, General Catalyst and Lux Capital.