webAI Reaches $2.5 Billion Valuation and Launches Intelligence Labs Under Dr. PJ Maykish
AUSTIN, Texas, January 14, 2026 — webAI, the leading private enterprise AI platform, today announced a major expansion of its research and leadership teams with the launch of webAI Intelligence Labs and the appointment of Dr. PJ Maykish as Chief Intelligence Officer. The expansion is supported by a recently closed, oversubscribed funding round that values the company at $2.5 billion pre-money, with participation from TIME Ventures, Atreides Management led by Gavin Baker, Forerunner and OXCART Ventures.
Dr. PJ Maykish joins webAI to lead the newly formed Intelligence Labs after serving as a Vice President for technology strategy at the Special Competitive Studies Project and Director for Technology Competition at the National Security Council. A 24-year veteran of military operations, Maykish previously directed classified research for the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and commanded the U.S. Central Command’s Combined Air Operations Center, including commissioning AI programs in the ISIS war. At webAI, he will oversee a team focused on driving innovation within the company’s sovereign AI framework and integrating core technical breakthroughs back into the business.
The funding round saw strong demand, with investors enthusiastic about the traction webAI is gaining across both the public sector and enterprises. These organizations are increasingly moving away from cloud-dependent AI in favor of sovereign, local-first systems that address critical challenges around data security, operational reliability, and rising cloud costs.
“Sovereign AI is becoming a requirement for organizations that cannot afford the privacy risks or the ‘cloud tax’ of traditional models,” said David Stout, CEO of webAI. “By bringing in a leader of PJ’s caliber and launching Intelligence Labs, we are doubling down on our mission to provide enterprises with AI they truly own.”
“I’m incredibly proud to work alongside David Stout and the talented team at webAI,” said David Shuman, Chairman of the Board at webAI. “Their vision to rethink how and where AI operates, delivering tailored and trusted intelligence for the most demanding use cases, will meaningfully shape the future of the industry, and this fundraising milestone reflects growing recognition of that vision.”
The new capital will accelerate three core initiatives: the growth of the Intelligence Lab, the scaling of webAI’s sovereign platform to make private AI repeatable for the enterprise, and the expansion of customer rollout programs. These efforts will help global organizations move from experimentation to full-scale production faster.
About webAI
webAI is the enterprise AI platform that brings AI to your data. Built for mission-critical environments, it enables organizations to build and operate private, custom models with complete data sovereignty, real-time performance, and predictable economics. From public sector and defense to aviation and manufacturing, webAI powers specialized AI that enterprises truly own.