Cohere Acquires German AI Firm Aleph Alpha, Secures $600M Investment for European Expansion

Gate News message, April 24 — Canadian AI company Cohere announced plans to acquire German AI firm Aleph Alpha to strengthen its presence in Europe. Schwarz Group, a backer of Aleph Alpha, plans to invest $600 million in Cohere's Series E funding round.

The funding round is expected to close in 2026, though the acquisition remains subject to regulatory approval. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cohere has raised $1.6 billion to date and reached a valuation of $7 billion in 2025.

Aleph Alpha, once positioned as Germany's answer to OpenAI, has shifted from developing large language models to focusing on AI applications for businesses. The company secured contracts with Germany's digital affairs ministry and the Baden-Württemberg regional government. Cohere specializes in "sovereign AI" systems designed for enterprises and governments, emphasizing data security and localized control.