Prometheus raises $12B to build an 'artificial general engineer'

Prometheus, the physical AI startup co-founded by Jeff Bezos and Vik Bajaj, announced it raised $12 billion at a $41 billion valuation. New funds came from Bezos himself and investors including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock. This is the company's second fundraise; it launched late last year with an initial $6.2 billion.

Prometheus is building what it calls an 'artificial general engineer' — software capable of automating the design and manufacturing of complex physical systems, from jet engines to drug compounds. The company aims to replace large swaths of engineering work but is keeping specifics of its progress under wraps.

It currently has about 150 employees across San Francisco, London and Zurich, and Bezos indicated a large portion of the capital will go toward the company's compute needs. Bezos said the productivity gains from AI will lead to what he calls 'labor scarcity,' a world where demand for human workers outpaces supply.

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