UK’s ARIA Partners With CommonAI, Providing €18M To Boost AI Compute Capabilities

The funding will support the development of the UK’s scalable AI inference capabilities.

Originally launched by Anthemis and Cambridge AI Venture Partners, CommonAI’s platform aims to accelerate the growth of AI-enabled businesses across the UK and Europe.

Launched in 2025, CommonAI brings together engineers, AI specialists, entrepreneurs, academics, and investors to support early-stage startups and enterprises.

Its mission is to provide access to cutting-edge technology, compute power and shared IP through a foundational Digital Commons, reducing reliance on Big Tech while enabling secure, scalable AI innovation.

Through its membership model, organisations join programmes aligned with their priorities, with CommonAI overseeing delivery and operations.

ARIA will lead and fund the Scaling Inference Lab, part of its wider Scaling Compute programme, while CommonAI operates a dedicated research and engineering lab embedded in real data-centre environments.

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The lab allows AI systems to be tested and optimised under real-world conditions, integrating hardware, software, and operational design. It supports researchers, startups, scale-ups, and companies building AI for sectors such as finance, healthcare, science, and national infrastructure.

By improving inference efficiency the stage where most computing cost and energy use occur the initiative accelerates deployment, drives innovation, and creates high-value jobs across the UK economy.

This marks a key step for CommonAI, moving from concept to live delivery with national backing. Its collaborative shared-infrastructure model lowers barriers to advanced computing, connects research with testbeds and real-world deployment and strengthens the UK AI ecosystem by reducing costs, technical risk and dependence on Big Tech.

Dr Gavin Ferris, CEO, CommonAI CIC, says: “CommonAI is focused on delivery, building shared infrastructure that organisations can use to run and improve AI systems in real conditions. Scaling Inference brings partners from industry, academia and the public sector together around working clusters, open benchmarks, and measurable progress. By creating shared infrastructure that organisations can build on, it supports emerging companies, reduces development risk and helps attract investment into the UK AI ecosystem.”

Sir Andy Hopper, Chairman, CommonAI CIC, adds: “The Scaling Inference Lab creates a practical environment where new AI infrastructure can be tested and proven at system scale. It builds on CommonAI’s vision of shared infrastructure allowing organisations to innovate without needing the scale or resources of large technology providers. By improving access to efficient, trusted computing platforms, we can help create a more accessible AI ecosystem and unlock greater economic opportunity across the UK.”