1001, a company specializing in sovereign artificial intelligence systems for critical infrastructure, has raised $30 million in a Series A funding round led by U.S. venture capital firm Lux Capital, with participation from Sanabil Investments, Hanabi, and 9Yards, reflecting growing global investor interest in AI startups emerging from the Gulf region.
The round also saw increased commitments from existing investors General Catalyst, CIV, and Chris Ré, an AI researcher at Stanford University. A number of regional and international angel investors also participated, including Karim Atiyeh, Kareem Amin, Russell Kaplan, Shayan Shafii, Daniel Garber, and Junaid Hussain.
The investment underscores rising confidence among global investors in Gulf-based AI companies, amid growing momentum to develop and operate sovereign AI systems locally to support strategic industries.
Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh, Founder and CEO of 1001, said the GCC manages some of the world’s most critical infrastructure, including a significant share of global oil flows, maritime container traffic, and international aviation. He noted that organizations across the region are no longer looking for AI pilot projects, but rather for sovereign AI systems capable of delivering measurable outcomes and making thousands of reliable real-time operational decisions.
He added that the new funding will enable the company to accelerate the development of its AI platform while attracting top local and international talent to strengthen its technical capabilities.
Founded in 2025, 1001 develops an AI-powered operating system that integrates with an organization’s existing operational systems to create a live digital model of its operations, incorporating assets, processes, dependencies, and operational constraints.
The company’s platform analyzes operational workflows, predicts potential disruptions before they occur, and recommends—or autonomously executes—the optimal course of action, while ensuring that data and AI systems remain locally managed, allowing organizations to retain full control over their critical infrastructure.
According to McKinsey & Company, 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, with critical infrastructure representing one of the highest-value application areas.
Deena Shakir, Partner at Lux Capital, said the firm views the 1001 team as an example of founders who combine a strong long-term vision with world-class technical expertise. She added that the company is demonstrating that advanced AI systems for critical infrastructure can be built, owned, and governed locally, marking an important step in strengthening the Gulf’s technological capabilities.
Sanabil Investments also highlighted that GCC economies are investing at an unprecedented pace in digital infrastructure, data, and computing capacity. The firm noted that the current priority is to build trusted local AI capabilities to operate these strategic assets, adding that 1001 is well positioned to become a key AI partner for institutions managing critical infrastructure across the region.
The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its workforce, with a particular focus on hiring additional software and AI engineers, while strengthening its commercial operations and expanding its sales and marketing presence across key GCC markets.
Read the article in
