In a major strategic move, BigBear.ai has agreed to acquire Ask Sage, a cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence platform, for approximately $250 million. The planned acquisition, which the company expects to close in late Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026, significantly advances BigBear.ai’s capabilities in providing secure and scalable AI tools for defense, national security, and other highly regulated environments. This transaction strengthens the company’s position as a leader in delivering disruptive Generative AI for National Security missions.
Strategic Alignment Drives Growth and Mission Impact
BigBear.ai CEO Kevin McAleenan confirmed the acquisition directly aligns with the company’s focused merger and acquisition strategy, which targets three critical areas of growth: disruptive AI mission solutions for national security, smart and secure travel and trade technologies, and platform-level AI technologies for rapid, secure deployment.
Ask Sage’s model-agnostic architecture and its key differentiator—the ability to operate in highly sensitive environments with FedRAMP High accreditation—immediately sharpen BigBear.ai’s competitive edge. The acquisition also adds a substantial revenue component, as Ask Sage is projected to deliver approximately $25 million in non-GAAP annual recurring revenue in 2025.
New Leadership to Accelerate Innovation
As part of the deal, Ask Sage founder Nicolas Chaillan will join BigBear.ai as Chief Technology Officer. Chaillan is a widely respected figure in secure, mission-grade AI, having previously served as the former Chief Software Officer for both the U.S. Air Force and the Space Force.
In his new role, Chaillan will oversee technology integration and drive innovation across the company’s product portfolio, accelerating BigBear.ai’s evolution into a premier AI-first enterprise.
Unlocking Key Synergies in Federal Contracting
The combined entities will realize immediate synergies, focusing on expansion within the federal and commercial markets. BigBear.ai will begin cross-selling the new platform to its extensive client base and will also introduce its existing products to Ask Sage’s user network. Furthermore, the integration of mission services will improve adoption and performance across the new technology stack. By integrating the Ask Sage application marketplace, the company establishes a powerful new distribution channel for future AI offerings, significantly accelerating its time to market for cutting-edge Generative AI for National Security solutions.
