Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) Labs, co-founded by Turing Award winner Yann LeCun, has raised $1.03 billion at a $3.5 billion pre-money valuation to develop a new class of AI systems based on “world models.” These systems aim to move beyond traditional language-based models by incorporating real-world understanding, memory, reasoning, and planning capabilities. The funding round was co-led by Cathay Innovation, Greycroft, Hiro Capital, HV Capital, and Bezos Expeditions, with participation from a wide range of institutional and individual investors, including NVIDIA, Samsung, Temasek, Eric Schmidt, and Mark Cuban.
CEO Alexandre LeBrun highlighted the emerging trend, stating, “My prediction is that ‘world models’ will be the next buzzword. In six months, every company will call itself a world model to raise funding.” The company will allocate the capital toward building advanced computing infrastructure and attracting specialized talent across its hubs in Paris, New York, Montreal, and Singapore.
AMI Labs focuses on foundational research, distinguishing itself from faster-moving applied AI startups. LeBrun emphasized the long development timeline, noting, “AMI Labs is a very ambitious project, because it starts with fundamental research. It’s not your typical applied AI startup that can release a product in three months, have revenue in six months, and make $10 million in [annual recurring revenue] in 12 months.” The company plans to collaborate with partners such as digital health firm Nabla to test early applications, particularly in areas where traditional AI models face reliability challenges. Despite the extended timeline, AMI Labs intends to publish research and open-source code to build a broader ecosystem.