Soverli raises $2.6M to develop sovereign smartphone architecture

Zurich-based cybersecurity firm Soverli has secured $2.6 million in pre-seed funding to develop a sovereign smartphone architecture. This innovative approach aims to bolster digital sovereignty, a key priority in Europe, by providing a secure and independent operating system alongside existing Android and iOS platforms. The architecture offers a novel way to isolate sensitive data and applications, promising enhanced security for both individuals and organizations. The technology, developed from over four years of research at ETH Zurich, utilizes a patent-pending method to run multiple operating systems concurrently on a single device while maintaining complete isolation. This allows a customizable and auditable sovereign OS to function alongside Android without requiring hardware modifications. Early demonstrations showcase secure communication, such as running Signal within the sovereign OS, which isolates the app to reduce attack surfaces. The architecture's impact will be felt across several sectors, with a primary focus on mission-critical communications, including emergency response and critical infrastructure. This sovereign OS approach can keep communications and core workflows running even if the primary OS is compromised. Further applications include secure enterprise communications and bring-your-own-device scenarios. Soverli plans to use the new funding to expand its engineering team, extend support to more smartphone models, and increase integration with mobile device management systems. The company also intends to scale partnerships with OEMs, furthering the development and deployment of its sovereign smartphone architecture within the European market.