Fei-Fei Li, a prominent AI researcher, has secured $230 million for a startup she co-founded with three colleagues. Their mission: developing AI technology that understands the intricate workings of the three-dimensional physical world. The company, World Labs, announced this achievement on Friday.
Initial funding for World Labs was led by Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates, and Radical Ventures, with additional investments from AMD Ventures, Intel Capital, and Nvidia’s NVentures. The company did not disclose its valuation.
Li, recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in AI for 2023, has a distinguished career. She led AI at Google Cloud from 2017 to 2018, served on Twitter’s board, and advised policymakers, including at the White House. Known affectionately as the “godmother of AI,” Li gained acclaim for developing ImageNet, a dataset pivotal in advancing computer vision technology.
In a more jovial tone:
Li, often dubbed the “godmother of AI,” has bagged a whopping $230 million for her latest venture, World Labs! This startup, co-founded with her savvy colleagues, aims to teach AI how the real world ticks in 3D. Funding was led by big shots like Andreessen Horowitz and Intel, alongside a star-studded lineup of backers.
Time Magazine’s AI influencer of 2023, Li’s resume sparkles with stints at Google Cloud, Twitter’s board, and even White House consultations. Her famous ImageNet dataset was a game-changer in computer vision, earning her accolades and the endearing nickname.
Known for her visionary ideas, Li isn’t just shaping AI’s future; she’s reinventing it with a focus on spatial intelligence. Forget flat screens—she’s all about AI that understands the real world, from AR/VR to robotics. And while other AI churns out mere images, Li’s team is crafting models that grasp how our 3D universe truly operates.
Based in San Francisco with a team of 20, World Labs isn’t Li’s first rodeo in entrepreneurship. From buying her parents’ dry cleaning business to revolutionizing AI, she’s a force to reckon with—balancing Stanford lectures with startup grind like a boss!