Jeff Bezos has reportedly raised $6.2 billion and hired nearly 100 employees for an AI startup focusing on deeply technical enterprise applications, called Project Prometheus.
The reported raise would instantly catapult Project Prometheus to being one of the most well-funded early-stage AI startups in the world. Still, the startup would have to compete with entrenched and even more deeply funded incumbents for market share.
The startup, in its new LinkedIn profile, describes itself as “AI for the physical economy.” Bezos appears to be angling to build technology capable of conducting real-world scientific experiments that surpass the limitations of so-called “chatbots” favored by companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Bezos, who stepped down from his longtime Amazon CEO seat in 2021 and has pared back his oversight of space startup Blue Origin, is co-CEO of Project Prometheus, The New York Times reported on Monday.
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Bezos is said to have teamed up with former Google executive Vik Bajaj as co-CEO and co-founder of Project Prometheus. Bajaj—an alum of Foresite Capital and co-founder of AI incubator Foresite Labs—lists a November start at Project Prometheus on his LinkedIn profile.
He lists locations of his position in San Francisco, London and Zurich.
Amazon representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.
The startup’s formation comes as investors continue to pour capital into AI startups at an unprecedented clip.
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