- The deal integrates H2O.ai’s enterprise AI platform into CAN.B Group’s AUSOVRN sovereign capability ecosystem
- Initial focus covers federal, state and local government as well as defense, national security and financial services
- CAN.B Group’s Digital Marketplace Panel 2 appointment gives government buyers an established procurement pathway to the combined offering
H2O.ai and CAN.B Group have formed a strategic partnership to help Australian government agencies, critical infrastructure operators and highly regulated organizations deploy and govern AI in line with Australian sovereign and regulatory requirements. The arrangement pairs H2O.ai’s enterprise AI platform with CAN.B Group’s sovereign architecture, governance, assurance and mission delivery capabilities, H2O.ai said in a press release Sunday.
What Is the H2O.ai-CAN.B Partnership Designed to Do?
The collaboration gives Australian organizations a practical pathway from identifying AI use cases through to secure deployment, model governance and ongoing capability development. By integrating H2O.ai into AUSOVRN, CAN.B Group’s mission-built sovereign capability ecosystem, customers will be able to access AI solutions that preserve visibility, portability and control over their data and systems.
The partnership addresses a set of barriers that have slowed enterprise AI adoption in regulated environments, including security and privacy requirements, governance uncertainty, fragmented technology environments, procurement complexity and dependency on proprietary platforms.
Who Will Benefit From the Strategic Partnership?
The initial focus is on the Australian market, with particular relevance for government at all levels, as well as defense, national security, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, financial services, insurance, health and other data-sensitive industries. CAN.B Group’s appointment to the Australian Government’s Digital Marketplace Panel 2 provides government buyers with an established procurement pathway to access the combined offering.
Areas of collaboration include governed enterprise AI adoption, secure generative AI workflows, predictive analytics, fraud and threat detection, sovereign AI deployments across on-premises and air-gapped environments and AI governance, auditability and assurance.
What Did the Companies’ Top Executives Say?
Jamie Lim, Vice President of Partnerships for Asia-Pacific at H2O.ai, pointed to the compliance and control requirements that drive government buyers in the region.
“Australian government and critical infrastructure buyers don’t just want AI, they want sovereign AI they can prove is compliant and under their control before it touches a live system. That’s what AUSOVRN gives them, and why H2O.ai belongs inside it,” Lim said.
Alex McNamara, Managing Director and Co-Founder of CAN.B Group, said the deal enables customers to access capable AI without sacrificing operational sovereignty.
“H2O.ai brings the enterprise-grade AI capability required to support complex and highly regulated environments. Through AUSOVRN, we can integrate that capability into a sovereign operating model that gives customers greater control, flexibility and confidence as their missions and technology requirements evolve,” McNamara said.
What Is H2O.ai?
H2O.ai is an agentic AI company that helps enterprises and public sector agencies deploy generative and predictive AI on their private data. Its open-source technology is used by over 20,000 organizations worldwide and the company has raised $256 million from investors including Commonwealth Bank, NVIDIA and Goldman Sachs.
What Is CAN.B Group?
CAN.B Group is an Australian-owned technology and advisory company and the architect of AUSOVRN, a sovereign capability ecosystem coordinating trusted partners across AI, cloud, cybersecurity, data and governance. It serves as Australia’s National Coordination Layer, translating policy and operational requirements into governed, mission-ready outcomes.
