We build sovereign AI for the world's most demanding environments_
Request a ConversationFounded in 2015, Whitespace is the UK’s Sovereign AI company delivering secure, deployable AI for Defence, National Security, and other high-risk, regulated environments.
From our headquarters in Belfast, we design AI systems that work under real-world constraints - where data is sensitive, connectivity is unreliable, and accountability is non-negotiable.
[ What We Do ]
A Sovereign AI company, built for reality. Whitespace exists to move AI from experimentation into operations.
We build AI systems that can operate where most cannot: in classified environments, at the edge, offline, and under regulatory and operational scrutiny. Our work is shaped by the demands of Defence and National Security, where trust must be engineered, assurance is mandatory, and failure is not an option.
This focus led us to develop Collective, our Sovereign AI operating system, alongside a structured adoption model that ensures AI can be delivered safely, quickly, and with measurable impact. Today, that same approach is being applied beyond Defence, into other high-risk, regulated sectors.
We build AI systems that can operate where most cannot: in classified environments, at the edge, offline, and under regulatory and operational scrutiny. Our work is shaped by the demands of Defence and National Security, where trust must be engineered, assurance is mandatory, and failure is not an option. This focus led us to develop Collective, our sovereign AI operating system, alongside a structured adoption model that ensures AI can be delivered safely, quickly, and with measurable impact. Today, that same approach is being applied beyond Defence, into other high-risk, regulated sectors.
[ Our Ethos ]
Sovereign AI is not about geography - it is about control.
Our approach ensures organisations retain authority over their data, models, and decisions, operating in line with their own legal, regulatory, and operational requirements. That can mean national deployments, international environments, or fully disconnected systems, as long as sovereignty, assurance, and governance are maintained.
This is how AI becomes deployable, trustworthy, and fit for real operational use.
[ Our Vision ]
Human – machine collaboration that can be trusted.
Our vision is to build secure, sovereign AI systems that enables humans and machines to work together with clarity, accountability, and control
- AI that understands organisational context
- AI that supports better decisions at scale
- AI that can be trusted, audited, and evolved safely over time.
This is the foundation for future superintelligence - not abstract capability, but practical, governed intelligence that strengthens national resilience and delivers public good.
Leadership with accountability_
Whitespace was founded in 2015 by Andrew McCartney and Paul Jenkinson, with a shared belief that AI would only deliver real value if it could be trusted, governed, and deployed responsibly.
Founder & CEO
Paul Jenkins
serves as CEO, leading Whitespace's strategy and growth as the company scales its sovereign AI capabilities across Defence, National Security, and other high-risk environments.
Co-Founder & COO
Andy McCartney
is Whitespace's Evangelist, shaping how the company's technology is understood, adopted, and trusted across Defence.
Chief Technology Officer
Andrew Wylie
leads the technology vision and engineering strategy at Whitespace, ensuring our AI systems meet the highest standards of security, reliability, and performance.
Chief Operating Officer
Dan James
oversees operations and delivery at Whitespace, ensuring teams and systems work together to meet the demands of Defence and National Security environments.
Head of Gov & National Security
Garth Geerel
leads Whitespace's engagement with Government and National Security clients, bringing deep expertise in navigating complex procurement and delivery environments.
Founder & CEO
Paul Jenkins
serves as CEO, leading Whitespace's strategy and growth as the company scales its sovereign AI capabilities across Defence, National Security, and other high-risk environments.
Co-Founder & COO
Andy McCartney
is Whitespace's Evangelist, shaping how the company's technology is understood, adopted, and trusted across Defence.
Chief Technology Officer
Andrew Wylie
leads the technology vision and engineering strategy at Whitespace, ensuring our AI systems meet the highest standards of security, reliability, and performance.
Chief Operating Officer
Dan James
oversees operations and delivery at Whitespace, ensuring teams and systems work together to meet the demands of Defence and National Security environments.
Head of Gov & National Security
Garth Geerel
leads Whitespace's engagement with Government and National Security clients, bringing deep expertise in navigating complex procurement and delivery environments.
Founder & CEO
Paul Jenkins
serves as CEO, leading Whitespace's strategy and growth as the company scales its sovereign AI capabilities across Defence, National Security, and other high-risk environments.
Co-Founder & COO
Andy McCartney
is Whitespace's Evangelist, shaping how the company's technology is understood, adopted, and trusted across Defence.
Chief Technology Officer
Andrew Wylie
leads the technology vision and engineering strategy at Whitespace, ensuring our AI systems meet the highest standards of security, reliability, and performance.
Chief Operating Officer
Dan James
oversees operations and delivery at Whitespace, ensuring teams and systems work together to meet the demands of Defence and National Security environments.
Head of Gov & National Security
Garth Geerel
leads Whitespace's engagement with Government and National Security clients, bringing deep expertise in navigating complex procurement and delivery environments.
How We Work_
Engineered for assurance, Whitespace brings together three elements that are rarely combined successfully.
This allows us to work at pace without compromising security, compliance, or control, even in the most constrained environments.
A sovereign AI operating system designed to deploy across cloud, edge, and fully air-gapped environments.
A structured adoption model that removes risk from AI delivery.
Applied intelligence that proves the architecture in real operational settings.
Our Team_
Multidisciplinary people, built for delivery.
Whitespace is a scaling team of experts, spanning engineering, product, research, UX and design, security, delivery, and commercial leadership.
We believe trusted AI cannot be built in silos. Our teams work across disciplines to design systems that are technically robust, operationally usable, and aligned with human decision-making.
As we scale, this multidisciplinary approach remains central to how we build and deliver.
Whitespace is headquartered in Belfast, a city with a strong heritage in engineering, resilience, and innovation.
Belfast’s growing technology ecosystem, academic strength, and close ties to the UK’s defence and security community have shaped how we build: pragmatic, rigorous, and focused on delivery.
As Whitespace grows internationally, Belfast remains central to who we are and how we work.
