Jeff Bezos is returning to a chief executive role for the first time since leaving Amazon in 2021, launching a new artificial intelligence venture called Project Prometheus — a start-up already reported to have secured $6.2 billion in early-stage funding.
According to The New York Times, the new company will be co-led by Bezos and Vik Bajaj, a former senior figure at Google X who worked closely with co-founder Sergey Brin and helped launch the Alphabet-backed biotech firm Verily. The move marks Bezos’s most ambitious foray into AI to date and adds to a portfolio that already includes space exploration company Blue Origin.
Project Prometheus is focused on developing AI systems to support high-stakes engineering and manufacturing across sectors such as aerospace, computing and automotive technology. The company has reportedly hired nearly 100 staff, drawing senior talent from OpenAI, Meta, DeepMind and other leading AI labs.
If confirmed, the $6.2 billion raised — including contributions from Bezos himself — would make Project Prometheus one of the most heavily financed start-ups in the world, despite not yet having officially launched or provided detailed financial disclosures.
The venture is entering an increasingly crowded and competitive AI landscape. Established giants such as Alphabet and Microsoft-backed OpenAI dominate the sector, while a growing number of well-funded challengers are attempting to carve out a niche in next-generation AI models and platforms.
Recent surges in AI valuations have prompted concern that the sector is overheating. Sir Nick Clegg, Meta’s global affairs president and former UK deputy prime minister, recently warned that some AI valuations were “crackers” and vulnerable to correction, drawing parallels with the dotcom bubble.
Bezos, however, has argued that even if current conditions resemble a “bubble”, it is likely to be a positive one. Speaking at a technology conference in Turin in October, he said AI investment was fuelling an “industrial bubble” rather than a financial one.
“When the dust settles and you see who the winners are, society benefits from those inventions,” he said. “The benefits to society from AI are going to be gigantic.”
Representatives for Bezos have not yet commented publicly on the reports.
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Jeff Bezos launches new AI start-up Project Prometheus with $6.2bn backing