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Hello reader,

Agentic AI—an implementation of AI that can process data and autonomously execute tasks—has captured headlines everywhere. But while the hype continues, the real challenge for enterprise B2B SaaS and financial services is to harness AI confidently and securely, driving human progress while maintaining absolute data privacy and sovereignty.

What’s at stake?

• 80% of enterprise data remains locked in silos—stalling innovation and revenue.

• Stringent regulations and privacy mandates limit full AI adoption.

• Manual compliance processes slow time-to-market and inflate costs.

Where Confidential AI comes in:

Confidential AI is a technical framework and a rapidly accelerating movement. By enabling secure collaboration and encrypted workflows, enterprises can safely tap into their most sensitive data—without exposure. With automated policy enforcement, attestation, and privacy guarantees baked in at every stage, you can focus on faster innovation, accelerating AI-driven solutions, and uncovering new business value.

It’s time to unlock the power of AI—ethically and at scale. The question is: Can your AI access the data that matters most?

Let’s shape the future of secure AI together—driving progress while protecting what’s yours.

Aaron Fulkerson,
CEO of OPAQUE 

In the Lab

The Latest Happenings at Opaque Systems

TechRadar Feature: In the Age of AI, Everybody Could Lose the Right to Anonymity
As AI lowers the barriers to identifying individuals from supposedly anonymous datasets, organizations must adopt a paradigm shift toward encryption-based methods. Solutions like confidential computing offer a clear path forward, ensuring that data remains protected even as AI’s capabilities grow. Read the full op-ed written by OPAQUE Co-Founder & CTO, Rishabh Poddar.

Confidential Computing Summit 2025: Call for Papers Extended to March 7th
Due to overwhelming demand, we are extending the call for papers deadline to March 7th. If your organization is leveraging confidential computing or privacy-preserving AI to protect sensitive data, now’s the time to showcase your work and be part of the growing movement. Submit your proposal today and snag our Early Bird registration rate, before time runs out!

Insights from Aaron Fulkerson: Did SaaS Peak Last Year?
The SaaS industry is at an inflection point. With a global market of $273 billion, we're seeing a fundamental shift in how value is created and captured. The traditional moat of feature differentiation is eroding, replaced by something far more valuable: Agentic workflows on proprietary enterprise data. Read Aaron Fulkerson’s full blog post and dive deeper into what this means for the evolving AI industry.

AI Confidential Salon on May 6th: Accelerating AI Innovation
We are hosting an exclusive Enterprise AI Leadership Salon in Manhattan on May 6th, bringing together dozens of technical leaders for candid discussions on scaling AI securely, modernizing legacy infrastructure, and building trust in AI systems. With introductory dialogue from McKinsey’s CTO, James Kaplan, this salon-style gathering will offer real-world insights through meaningful peer exchange. Request an invitation to join fellow CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and Enterprise Architects tackling similar challenges.

Code for Thought

Worthwhile Reads

💪 The rise of more powerful LLMs. As companies grapple with securing unstructured AI interactions, traditional safeguards often fall short—highlighting the need for robust, privacy-preserving solutions. Confidential AI offers a path forward by ensuring sensitive data remains protected throughout LLM training and deployment, without compromising innovation.

📊 AI’s evolving impact on the economy. Anthropic’s recent paper on Claude highlights AI’s uneven adoption, with the highest use in software, writing, and analytical roles. As AI reshapes industries, new tasks and new occupations will emerge, making it critical to track and adapt to these shifts. With confidential AI solutions, organizations can embrace the evolving workforce, protecting sensitive data while enabling responsible innovation.

💼 AI agents for business. With research skyrocketing, there is great excitement surrounding agentic AI adoption. Accenture found that papers on agentic systems increased exponentially between 2022 and 2024. But while leaders have high hopes for AI agents’ autonomous capabilities, its adoption raises the stakes for security and governance. With verifiable privacy guarantees, OPAQUE enables organizations to embrace this shift with confidence.

🛡️ Mitigating the risks of GenAI. In 2025, businesses will rapidly adopt GenAI, but pitfalls like poor oversight, data privacy risks, and over-reliance on automation could lead to serious consequences. A clear AI policy and human-in-the-loop approach are key to mitigating these risks while maximizing AI’s potential. With confidential AI, organizations safely and responsibly deploy AI, avoiding costly mistakes.