'Sovereign' AI platform for NZ introduced

SCX.ai, a Sydney-based company that operates distributed AI infrastructure using specialised inference accelerators, has partnered with majority New Zealand-owned consortium Kererū.ai  to build what they claim is among one of the first AI platforms designed to be fully sovereign within NZ.

SCX.ai’s platform deliberately separates training and inference, enabling AI to run alongside sensitive data and operational systems, supporting real-time decisions across government, research, financial services, and healthcare while maintaining residency, auditability, and compliance in-country, the company states.

This architecture supports regional and distributed deployment models, allowing AI capability to extend beyond central data centres and into research institutions, regional hubs, and education facilities. 

A central initiative of the partnership is Project Kererū, a sovereign NZ large language model program (LLM) inspired by SCX.ai’s Project MAGPiE, an LLM that SCX.ai says 'embeds Australian reasoning directly into the model's thinking process - not just its output'.

Project Kererū focuses on New Zealand data, institutional language, and local terminology; sector-specific models for research, government, education, and regulated industries; and 'culturally grounded applications', including support for Te Reo Māori.

Project Kererū will run on in-country infrastructure, with governance, auditability, and safety controls appropriate for national deployment, while co-existing with the ability to run leading global models on the same platform.

"To truly thrive in the AI era, New Zealand must build infrastructure that is sovereign by design,
energy-efficient, and tailored to our unique culture, language, and legal framework," said Lyle Ginever, CEO of Kererū.ai.

"We need solutions that are distinctly Kiwi and serve our national interests. This partnership accelerates Kereru AI to a leadership position delivering an innovative AI capability for New Zealand"

"We founded SCX.ai to prove that world-class AI doesn't require massive, monolithic GPU clouds," said David Keane, CEO of SCX.ai.

"By combining purpose-built inference accelerators with sovereign governance, this partnership enables New Zealand to scale AI responsibly, efficiently, and with lasting control over its technology future."

From Q1 2026, Kererū.ai customers will gain access to production-grade AI services delivered via SCX.ai’s existing infrastructure, with progressive migration to fully New Zealand-based deployments during 2026 as local facilities are commissioned.