Niobium launches encrypted cloud platform for private AI

Niobium has launched The Fog, an encrypted cloud platform for private AI and data processing, now available in private beta.

The service is designed to let organisations run applications and AI workloads on data that remains encrypted throughout computation, with decryption keys held by the data owner rather than the cloud provider.

The platform is built around fully homomorphic encryption, or FHE, which allows computation on encrypted data without exposing the underlying information. Niobium says this could help organisations use regulated or sensitive data in cloud environments without giving third parties access to it.

The launch marks Niobium's expansion beyond hardware into cloud infrastructure and software tools. Known for its focus on hardware acceleration for FHE, the company is now offering a self-service platform where users can provision servers and custom hardware, deploy FHE applications, and manage workloads through a single portal.

Chief Executive Officer Kevin Yoder described the launch as a response to concerns about data exposure in cloud computing.

"For too long, organizations have had to accept data exposure as the cost of doing business in the cloud," said Kevin Yoder, Chief Executive Officer, Niobium. "The Fog eliminates that tradeoff. We're building a cloud platform where data can be used without ever being revealed. Our goal is to make encrypted computing practical, scalable, and accessible to the teams that need it most."

Cloud buildout

As part of the rollout, Niobium has appointed Rob Sherrard as Head of Cloud to lead development of the new infrastructure. The move signals investment in the operational side of turning encrypted computing from specialist hardware into a broader cloud service.

Sherrard said the company sees encrypted compute as a broader shift in how cloud systems are built and used.

"Encrypted compute is the next platform shift, and we're building the infrastructure that makes it not just possible, but inevitable," said Rob Sherrard, Head of Cloud, Niobium. "Inside The Fog, computation happens entirely under encryption. Owners hold the keys, the fog never lifts, and the work still gets done."

Hardware focus

The Fog launches on Niobium's mistic Core FPGA accelerator. Niobium says the hardware delivers up to twice the FHE performance of any GPU or accelerator currently on the market. That claim was not independently verified.

The company is also developing an application-specific integrated circuit, or ASIC, with SEMIFIVE and Samsung Foundry. Niobium says the chip will offer higher performance while remaining compatible with software built for the current platform, allowing customers to move workloads across future hardware without rewriting applications.

FHE has long attracted interest because it offers a way to process encrypted data while preserving confidentiality. But broad adoption has been limited by heavy computational demands and difficult implementation. Niobium says The Fog is intended to address both through dedicated hardware and a software stack aimed at developers without a cryptography background.

Early applications

The initial release includes a library of pre-built FHE applications intended to demonstrate practical uses for encrypted compute. Among the first applications available through the platform are encrypted semantic search, federated learning, and machine learning classification.

Semantic search is designed to query sensitive data by meaning rather than exact keyword while keeping both the query and the dataset encrypted. In federated learning, organisations can train models across separate encrypted datasets without centralising the data. The machine learning classification example highlighted by Niobium includes network intrusion detection on encrypted information.

The broader software stack includes a compiler, software development kit, template applications, documentation, and the management portal for hardware and workloads. Early users in the private beta will also get access to the mistic Core FPGA hardware and direct engagement with Niobium's engineering and cryptography teams.

Niobium is based in Dayton, Ohio, with offices in Portland and San Francisco. Its move into cloud services reflects a wider push across the technology sector to apply AI and advanced analytics to sensitive datasets without increasing the risk of exposure.

The Fog is intended to give organisations a way to run those workloads while keeping decryption keys exclusively in the hands of the data owner.