OpenAI Co founder Ilya Sutskever’s startup seeks over $1B in funding at $30B valuation: Report

Ilya Sutskever, cofounder of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, is in the process of raising more than $1 billion for his new venture, SuperSafeIntelligence (SSI), at a valuation exceeding $30 billion, according to a source familiar with the development, reports Bloomberg.

According to the report, San Francisco-based venture capital firm Greenoaks Capital Partners is reportedly leading the funding round for the firm, with plans to invest $500 million, said a source who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions. The VC firm has backed prominent AI firms such as Scale AI and Databricks Inc.

Superintelligence Inc (SSI), which focuses on building safe and reliable artificial intelligence (AI) systems, previously secured $1 billion September last year, led by NFDG, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and SV Angel. 

Sutskever, a key figure in OpenAI's technological breakthroughs and its former Chief Scientist exited the company in May last year. Just a month later, he co-founded Safe Superintelligence alongside venture capitalist Daniel Gross. 

“We plan to advance capabilities as fast as possible while making sure our safety always remains ahead. This way, we can scale in peace. Our singular focus means no distraction by management overhead or product cycles, and our business model means safety, security, and progress are all insulated from short-term commercial pressures,” reads an earlier joint statement by Ilya Sutskever and co-founders Daniel Gross and Daniel Levy.  

Gross previously served as the AI lead at Apple, while Levy is a former OpenAI employee. 

After announcing his departure from OpenAI, Sutskever also spearheaded the move to remove CEO Sam Altman last year. Soon after, AI researcher Jan Leike left the firm over safety concerns to join the AI startup Anthropic.