Bell AI Fabric, Cohere, Hypertec and BUZZ HPC announce landmark deal to advance sovereign AI in Canada

Executive Summary

• Four Canadian technology leaders—Bell AI Fabric, Cohere, Hypertec, and BUZZ HPC—announced a landmark strategic collaboration to develop and deploy sovereign AI infrastructure within Canada.
• The partnership combines Bell’s data centre and connectivity, BUZZ HPC’s AI-native cloud and GPU compute, Hypertec’s Canadian-built hardware, and Cohere’s enterprise-grade AI models to support large-scale, secure AI deployments for government and enterprise clients.
• The initiative aims to strengthen Canada’s digital sovereignty, data security, and economic resilience by keeping AI workloads, infrastructure, and governance domestically controlled.

Key Details

• Parties Involved: Bell Canada (TSX: BCE, NYSE: BCE), Cohere, Hypertec, and BUZZ HPC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Hive Digital Technologies TSX: HIVE, NASDAQ: HIVE).
• Infrastructure & Location: Bell will provide data centre capacity and connectivity services from its purpose-built facility in Merritt, British Columbia, optimized for advanced AI workloads.
• Compute & Cloud Architecture: BUZZ HPC will deliver the AI-native cloud layer utilizing Hypertec’s Canadian-built hardware cluster and NVIDIA’s DSX AI factory platform for accelerated computing.
• AI Model Deployment: Cohere will operate its foundation models on the platform to deliver secure, enterprise-grade AI solutions tailored for government and enterprise customers.
• Strategic Objectives: The collaboration supports the transition from AI experimentation to production-scale deployment, emphasizing data control, performance, security, and Canadian-based AI capabilities.
• Ecosystem Context: The agreement builds upon previously announced partnerships and the Canadian Sovereign AI Alliance, reinforcing Bell AI Fabric’s integrated platform for connectivity, data centres, compute, professional services, and cybersecurity.

Notable Quotes

• Michel Richer, President, Bell AI Fabric: "This landmark deal helps close that gap. Through our partnership, Cohere will operate its AI models in Bell AI Fabric infrastructure... This agreement underscores the role Bell AI Fabric is playing in helping organizations move from experimentation to production on infrastructure that is located, operated and governed in Canada."
• Michael Pelosi, Country Manager, Canada, Cohere: "This collaboration gives Cohere another way to support customers in Canada with advanced AI that is built for real use, on infrastructure that reflects Canadian priorities."
• Don Schlidt, President, Hypertec HPC & AI, HCM: "Through this partnership, we are combining cutting-edge compute infrastructure with the deployment, integration, and service capabilities required to operate next-generation AI environments reliably and efficiently."
• Craig Tavares, President and COO, BUZZ HPC: "This partnership brings together a combination of capabilities that does not exist anywhere else in Canada today... solving a real national gap: giving Canada the sovereign AI infrastructure required to turn ambition into impact."
• The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation: "This collaboration brings those elements together - linking infrastructure, compute, and advanced AI capabilities in a way that helps support organizations strengthen control over data and innovation."