Prometheus startup raises $12 billion, $41 billion valuation

Jeff Bezos has returned to an operational leadership role in technology, announcing a massive $12 billion funding round for his artificial intelligence startup, Prometheus, which is now valued at $41 billion. The company, which he co-leads with former Google executive Vik Bajaj, is developing AI systems focused on accelerating engineering and manufacturing in the physical world.

The Series B round, which closed on June 11, 2026, attracted investment from major financial institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, DST Global, and Arch Venture Partners, alongside Bezos himself. This brings the company's total funding to over $18 billion since its launch in November 2025 with an initial $6.2 billion. Prometheus currently employs about 150 people.

In his first CEO role since stepping down from Amazon in 2021, Bezos described the company's goal as creating an "artificial general engineer." The AI is being trained on data from the physical world—such as experimental results, robotics interactions, and engineering workflows—rather than primarily on internet text. The aim is to build systems that can help design, test, and manufacture complex products like jet...