AI STARTUP
Bezos quietly built a £6bn AI science lab while we weren’t looking
Jeff Bezos is taking a hands-on role in a new AI company for the first time since stepping down from Amazon in 2021.
The start-up, Project Prometheus, is launching with $6.2bn in funding, making it one of the most well-backed early AI companies.
Bezos will run the company with Vik Bajaj, a former Google X and Verily executive known for his work in science and advanced tech.
The company hasn’t shared much publicly yet, but its focus is on AI that supports engineering and manufacturing across areas like aerospace, computing, and cars.
This ties closely to Bezos’ long-standing interest in technology and space.
Three things to know:
Project Prometheus starts with $6.2bn in funding and a large early team.
Bezos is returning to an operational role, co-leading the company with Vik Bajaj.
The company is focused on AI for physical science and engineering, a growing area in the wider AI race.
Not your usual startup launch
The start-up has already hired nearly 100 people, including researchers from OpenAI, DeepMind, and Meta.
It enters a rapidly growing part of the AI world where companies are building systems that can learn from real-world experiments, not just text.
Other players in this space include Periodic Labs and several new research-focused start-ups.
With its funding and team, Project Prometheus begins with a strong position in a field where major tech companies are also pushing for scientific and industrial breakthroughs.
“🎶 CEO, entrepreneur, born in 1964, Jeffrey, Jeffrey Bezos…🎶” - MV