Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI), the artificial intelligence startup founded by former Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun, has raised $1.03 billion in funding at a $3.5 billion pre-money valuation as it works to develop a new approach to AI systems.
The funding round was co-led by investors including Cathay Innovation, Greycroft, Hiro Capital, HV Capital, and Bezos Expeditions. The capital will be used to advance the company’s research and development efforts focused on building AI systems capable of reasoning, planning, and understanding real-world environments.
LeCun, who stepped down from his role at Meta at the end of 2025 after more than a decade leading the company’s AI research initiatives, launched AMI to pursue an alternative vision of artificial intelligence. He has long argued that current AI models—particularly large language models that rely on predicting the next word or pixel—are insufficient for achieving human-level intelligence.
Instead, AMI is developing systems based on “world models,” an approach designed to enable machines to understand how the physical world works. These systems aim to allow AI to reason about complex situations, plan actions, and interact more effectively with real-world environments.
The startup plans to initially focus on industries that operate complex systems, including manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and biomedical sectors. Over time, the company believes its technology could support consumer applications such as domestic robotics and wearable devices that require advanced environmental awareness.
LeCun has said the company aims to build intelligent systems that can power a wide range of future technologies. The company is also exploring potential collaborations with technology companies to integrate its AI capabilities into emerging products such as smart glasses.
The launch and funding of AMI reflect the growing global investment in artificial intelligence as startups and major technology companies compete to develop next-generation AI systems capable of deeper reasoning and real-world interaction.
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