Sep 16, 2026
3 minute read
Cohere and Aleph Alpha sign agreement to become the first transatlantic sovereign AI solution
The company, operating globally as Cohere, will remain deeply rooted in both countries with headquarters, R&D centers, and leadership roles in Canada and Germany
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We are announcing the signing of a definitive business combination agreement with Aleph Alpha, following the release of our planned partnership in April of this year. Operating globally as Cohere, the unified company will effectively create the first transatlantic sovereign AI solution. The transaction remains subject to final regulatory approvals.
Commitment to Canada and Germany
The company will remain deeply rooted in both countries with headquarters, R&D centers, and leadership roles in Canada and Germany.
Operating globally as Cohere, we will bring together deep research expertise, enterprise-grade solutions, and long-standing public sector partnerships across Canada and Europe. The transaction will increase Cohere's employee headcount to more than 1,000 across both continents, with plans for the company to be dual-headquartered in Berlin and in Toronto and to keep Aleph Alpha’s Heidelberg office as a research center.
Agreement brings new Cohere leadership
As part of the combined company's next phase of growth, Cohere will expand its leadership team with two senior appointments effective upon deal close. Ilhan Scheer, currently Co-CEO of Aleph Alpha, will become Chief Operating Officer of Cohere, leading the company's global operating model and organizational scaling. He previously founded fable+, a data analytics and transformation company acquired by Accenture, where he went on to serve as Managing Director overseeing a global portfolio of enterprise transformation products, and is co-author of Decision Intelligence (Wiley).
Ilhan Scheer, Co-CEO, Aleph Alpha said:* “Over the past twelve months, we have sharpened our focus on specialized language models for governments and regulated industries. Cohere is a strong strategic fit for this work, bringing global reach and deployment capabilities that complement our research expertise. Together, we can bring what our team has built to more organizations worldwide. This strengthens our ability to deliver on our mission: giving organizations control over the AI they rely on.”*
Samuel Weinbach, co-founder and Co-Chief Research Officer of Aleph Alpha, will become Chief Research Officer of Cohere, advancing the company's research and technological development. His scientific work spans tokenization, language model training, explainability, and image generation. Both appointments are contingent on completion of the transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close later this year, with further integration and product details to follow.
Continued commitment to sovereignty
Cohere will become the first foundational model developer anchored on both sides of the Atlantic to deliver AI solutions aligned with the sovereignty requirements of both Canada and Germany.
The combined company will operate within the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks of both jurisdictions, including requirements governing the protection and handling of sensitive data and technology. Its structure incorporates safeguards and oversight mechanisms that reinforce operational control, accountability, and compliance across both markets.