Jeff Bezos competes with OpenAI through new industrial intelligence venture

Project Prometheus, the secretive artificial intelligence startup co-founded by Jeff Bezos, is currently raising approximately $10 billion in fresh funding.

According to multiple sources, this latest round places the post-money valuation of the firm at around $38 billion.

If the deal is completed, it will mark the company’s first significant capital injection since its $6.2 billion launch last year.

A spokeswoman for the startup declined to provide a comment on the ongoing negotiations.

Founded in November 2025, Project Prometheus distinguishes itself from competitors like OpenAI by focusing on "physical AI."

Rather than developing digital chatbots, the firm designs systems to interact with tangible industrial processes, including aerospace engineering, semiconductor production, and large-scale manufacturing.

Bezos launched the venture alongside co-CEO Vik Bajaj, an adjunct professor at Stanford University who previously held senior positions at Alphabet’s experimental "moonshot" lab, Google X.

The startup has already established a presence in San Francisco, reportedly hiring between 50 and 200 employees by recruiting heavily from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and xAI.

Beyond this funding round, the New York Times reported that Bezos is in early discussions with international investors to raise up to $100 billion for a separate investment fund.

This vehicle would target companies poised to benefit from Project Prometheus’s technological breakthroughs.

Despite the significant financial backing, the firm faces stiff competition in a crowded landscape. Established giants and well-funded startups like Periodic Labs are also targeting the physical AI sector.

However, the immense personal wealth and strategic influence of Bezos remain central to the startup's rapid ascent.