Prometheus, the artificial intelligence company where Jeff Bezos serves as co-chief executive, announced Thursday that it has secured $12 billion in Series B financing, bringing the company’s valuation to approximately $41 billion. The funding round drew participation from major financial institutions including JPMorgan, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, DST Global, and Arch Venture Partners, as reported by Axios.
Unlike Blue Origin, his space exploration company that Bezos has personally funded through Amazon stock sales, Prometheus is attracting significant external investment. Bezos, who was the primary investor in the company’s earlier $6.2 billion Series A round, confirmed his continued participation in this latest funding during an interview with CNBC’s David Faber at the company’s San Francisco headquarters.
The interview marked the first public joint appearance by Bezos and his co-CEO Vik Bajaj to discuss the venture, which has largely remained under wraps. Bezos acknowledged the substantial capital requirements of the enterprise, pointing to the expenses associated with computational power and developing the specialized training data essential to the company’s operations. When questioned about a potential initial public offering, Bezos indicated it was premature to consider such a move.
The company, now simply called Prometheus after dropping “Project” from its name, is developing what Bezos characterizes as an
“artificial general engineer.” These AI-powered tools are designed to accelerate the entire process from initial design through
manufacturing for physical products ranging from microchips to infrastructure like bridges. Bezos initially revealed this concept during a CNBC interview the previous month.
During Thursday’s discussion, Bajaj illustrated the company’s mission by referencing jet engine development, a process that typically requires engineering teams over ten years to complete from design through prototype to production. He described this as among the most technically complex and creative endeavors humans undertake. According to Bajaj, recent technological advances now enable even such intricate processes to be approached as comprehensive AI problems spanning from design to manufacturing.
The decision to speak publicly at this time came as information about the company began circulating. Bezos explained that allowing speculation to fill the information vacuum would result in
inaccuracies.
Addressing speculation about raising up to $100 billion for a related fund to acquire manufacturing businesses, Bezos clarified that Prometheus might purchase portions of companies that could benefit from its technology, subsequently helping them enhance their manufacturing operations.
Bezos revealed that he began as a founding investor alongside Bajaj in late 2024 but became increasingly impressed by the company’s progress and potential, prompting him to take a more active role. This represents his first chief executive position since departing from Amazon in 2021. He described the work as demanding but rewarding.
The company currently employs approximately 150 people, with its primary operations in San Francisco and additional teams in London and Zurich. The co-CEOs declined to provide specific timelines for product launches, stating only that initial deployments are forthcoming.
The interview concluded with Faber requesting an update on Blue Origin following a New Glenn rocket explosion during a launchpad test in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in late May. Bezos characterized it as an extremely difficult day for the organization and its team members. However, he noted that the company has recovered and is reconstructing the launch facility. He emphasized that fortunate circumstances spared the longest-lead-time items at the site from damage. Bezos expressed confidence that Blue Origin would resume flight operations before year’s end.
With the SpaceX initial public offering scheduled for Friday, Bezos indicated he would be observing developments along with everyone else.