# Safe Superintelligence $1 billion funding round

Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI) raised $1 billion in September 2024 at a $5 billion valuation, led by Andreessen Horowitz, to advance safe superintelligence research.

Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI) is an American artificial intelligence company founded in June 2024 by Ilya Sutskever, Daniel Gross, and Daniel Levy. The company focuses exclusively on developing safe superintelligence, an AI system surpassing human intelligence, while prioritizing safety. In September 2024, SSI raised $1 billion in a funding round at a $5 billion valuation, led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).

The funding round marked one of the largest early-stage investments in AI at the time, reflecting intense investor interest in Sutskever's vision and the company's safety-first approach. The capital was earmarked for expanding computing power and hiring top talent in the field.

## Founding and Background

Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI, left OpenAI on May 15, 2024, following a turbulent period that included the removal and reinstatement of Sam Altman as CEO. In November 2023, Sutskever had voted to remove Altman, citing concerns about communication and trust, and compiled a 70-page dossier alleging a pattern of dishonesty. He also believed OpenAI was prioritizing commercialization over safety, such as seeking billions from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to develop a custom AI chip.

After the board's decision was reversed, Sutskever publicly apologized and joined employee calls for the board's resignation. His departure from OpenAI in May 2024 set the stage for founding SSI.

On June 19, 2024, Sutskever announced the creation of SSI Inc. on X, alongside Daniel Levy, a former OpenAI researcher and investor, and Daniel Gross, former head of AI efforts at Apple. The company's mission was to develop superintelligent AI safely, without the distractions of product cycles or commercial pressures.

## Funding Round Details

In September 2024, SSI revealed it had raised $1 billion from venture capital firms including SV Angel, DST Global, Sequoia Capital, and Andreessen Horowitz. The round was led by a16z, which had previously invested in other AI companies such as OpenAI and [anthropic](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/anthropic). The valuation of $5 billion was notable for a company with no revenue and only about 20 employees.

The funding was intended to build up computing power and hire top researchers. SSI's approach differed from many AI labs by focusing purely on safety research rather than product development. The company's website described it as the "world's first straight-shot SSI lab," insulated from short-term commercial pressures.

## Subsequent Developments

In March 2025, SSI reached a $30 billion valuation in a funding round led by Greenoaks Capital, a sixfold increase from its September 2024 valuation. Despite still generating no revenue, investor interest remained high due to Sutskever's reputation and the company's safety mission.

In April 2025, Google Cloud announced a partnership to provide Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for SSI's research, enhancing its computational capabilities.

In the first half of 2025, Meta attempted to acquire SSI, but Sutskever rebuffed the offer. In July 2025, co-founder Daniel Gross left SSI to join Meta Superintelligence Labs, and Sutskever became CEO of SSI.

On July 27, 2026, SSI and Nvidia announced a strategic partnership to expand SSI's compute by an order of magnitude, with Nvidia planning to invest $5 billion in the company. This partnership underscored the growing importance of compute in AI safety research.

## Company Culture and Operations

SSI operates with a small team split between Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel. The company's US headquarters are at 317 University Avenue in Palo Alto. In February 2025, SSI leased offices at 144 Menachem Begin Road in Midtown Tel Aviv.

The company's culture emphasizes safety and research over commercialization. Employees are discouraged from listing their affiliation on LinkedIn, partly due to increased employee poaching in 2025. The team is intentionally kept small to maintain focus and agility.

## Impact and Significance

The $1 billion funding round in 2024 was a landmark event in AI funding, signaling strong investor confidence in safety-focused AI ventures. It also highlighted the competitive landscape for AI talent and compute resources, as companies like [openai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/openai), [anthropic](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/anthropic), and [google-deepmind](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/google-deepmind) also attracted massive investments.

SSI's valuation growth from $5 billion to $30 billion within six months reflected the market's belief in the potential of safe superintelligence. The company's partnerships with Google Cloud and Nvidia further solidified its position as a major player in AI infrastructure.

## See Also

- [ai-safety](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/ai-safety)
- [artificial-general-intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-general-intelligence)
- [existential-risk-from-ai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/existential-risk-from-ai)
- [superintelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/superintelligence)
- [ilya-sutskever](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/ilya-sutskever)

## External links

- [Wikipedia: Safe Superintelligence Inc.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_Superintelligence_Inc.)

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Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/safe-superintelligence-2024-1b
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
Last updated: 2026-10-29T15:58:45.499015+00:00