Zama is a deep tech company doing something that, frankly, most of us can’t even begin to get our heads around. Their bread and butter? Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) – a type of encryption so niche that only a handful people in the world knew how to work with it when Zama was founded. Zama’s team includes some of the earliest pioneers of FHE.
They’re on a mission to make data privacy and confidentiality the norm, not the exception. Think processing data without ever decrypting it – AI, finance, healthcare – done privately and securely. Sounds wild? It is. But it’s also the future. And Zama is leading the charge.
| Campaign services | Target media | Campaign highlights |
| • PR strategy • Media relations • Thought leadership • Global news handling • Surveys • Newsjacking | • Blockchain • Crypto • Tech • Developer • Business • Investment • Financial services | • £126M+ raised • Massive shift in awareness • Strong developer interest |
The brief
When Zama first came to us, full commercialisation was still a few years away, so their focus wasn’t on mass customer acquisition. Instead, they were seeking PR support to raise awareness (quality over quantity) for the potential world that fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) could bring about – and to spark developer interest in experimenting with the technology.
Zama were clear: they didn’t want fluff, hype or glossy self-promotion. They were proud of what they were building – but they weren’t about to plaster it everywhere just for clicks. This was to be strategic and long term.
Our approach
Step one: get to know the people
We flew to Paris to meet Zama’s subject-matter experts and to learn and figure out who could talk about what – their passions and how they could fit into the broader comms strategy.
From there, we defined Zama’s ‘bench’ of spokespeople and the topics that each would speak about for PR including messaging. We focused less on explaining the maths and more on using hypothetical real-world use cases to help the world understand the potentials that FHE could bring. For example:
- Financial services: Credit card applications could be verified in real-time, privately, without sending personal data out to third-party verifiers. Coverage example: Financial IT
- Genetics: Remember the 23andMe hack? With FHE, you could run tests on your DNA while keeping the data 100% private – even from the lab doing the test. Coverage example: Journal of mHealth
As Apple began integrating FHE into its stack in August 2024, the conversation shifted. FHE was no longer just some obscure academic topic – it was trending. And what Zama was working on was suddenly in the spotlight.
In the first few months, we hosted media training workshops to help build their skills and confidence ahead of the bigger upcoming news that was on the horizon for Zama. This session was built to help the team who hadn’t much experience with the media to know how to work with the press: what to say, how to say it, how to ‘hold’.
Step two: building the voice
We guided Zama’s internal team on the value of PR. For them, integrity was everything. So we showed how earned media, if done right, could amplify their values without compromising them.
Step three: creating momentum with early awareness
With their spokespeople and story defined, we started raising awareness of FHE itself. At that time, it was a virtually unknown term. The result was media coverage that was smart, relevant and fully aligned with Zama’s values. No fluff, no jargon – just clear, credible storytelling.
Step four: turning a corner with funding announcements
The real tipping point came when we helped Zama prepare their first funding announcement. The $73M raise received high-quality coverage across global tech, finance and cryptography media.
From there, everything accelerated. A second raise of $53M followed. Developers across the world started engaging with Zama’s open-source technologies. Their internal confidence grew, and with it, their readiness to speak out.
Step five: scaling the message
With growing momentum and a stronger appetite for visibility, we ramped up activities:
- We positioned Zama’s experts as FHE authorities. We launched their TestNet with a supporting technical whitepaper to drive engagement from the developer community.
- We used Zama demos to show where FHE could solve challenges in financial services, healthcare and in blockchain scenarios.
- We secured podcast appearances, video interviews and in-depth media features – for a diverse range of voices across the company.
Zama’s journey from stealth-mode cryptography startup to global voice in data confidentiality wasn’t the result of a single campaign or press release. It was the product of a carefully orchestrated, long-term PR strategy built on trust, technical understanding and creative storytelling.
Throughout, our focus has always been on building a communications engine that could scale with them: a modular, values-aligned strategy that could adapt as they moved from research to real-world impact.
This wasn’t about grabbing headlines. It wasn’t about glitzy product launches or brand fame. It was about helping a deeply technical, cautious, brilliant company find the right opportunities to step into the world and start building the future.
Earning trust, not just headlines
Perhaps the most significant result? The partnership that we have built with the Zama team. In fact, we feel like we are an integrated part of their journey. They turn to us not just for coverage, but for counsel. For advice on what to say, when to say it and how to harness the media to bring their vision to the world – authentically and effectively.
Together, these initiatives continue to help shape Zama’s public profile, shift industry perceptions and position them as the leading voice in fully homomorphic encryption.
The transformation
Zama’s journey over the past three years has been wonderful to be part of.
They are now the 26th French unicorn with a valuation north of $1 billion . Why? Because investors see what’s coming. A world where we control our personal information and don’t have to trade privacy for convenience.
We have helped Zama go from whisper to roar – without ever compromising the company’s integrity. We didn’t turn them into media darlings. We didn’t push them to be something they’re not. We just helped them find a voice that matched the power of their ideas.
They’ve now launched their TestNet, which means developers can test and build real things using FHE. And the best bit… there is lots more to come.
Campaign highlights
Luminous didn’t just deliver media coverage. We helped Zama establish fully homomorphic encryption as a recognisable term. And that’s what matters. Because when you’re working with technology that might just change how the world operates, it’s not about making noise. It’s about making meaning.
- £126M+ raised – PR-supported the two global funding announcements.
- Massive shift in perception of FHE – once niche, now increasingly mainstream.
- Strong developer interest in their open API and testnet platform.
- Credible, human voices representing Zama across blockchain, AI and privacy media.
- Genuine partnership: Zama now sees Luminous as a strategic advisor, not just a supplier.
Client Testimonial
‘Working with Luminous has been transformative for us. They understood that Zama wasn’t looking for buzzwords or hype: we wanted to communicate complex, groundbreaking technology in a way that stayed true to who we are. The team took the time to deeply understand our people, our mission, and the nuances of FHE, then helped us translate that into a clear, credible narrative that resonated with our audience. They’ve become true partners and trusted advisors, not just a PR agency. The results speak for themselves: awareness, trust, and a global shift in how our solution is perceived.’
– Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Chief Operating Officer, Zama
