AI Startup Ineffable Intelligence Secures Record-Breaking $1.1B Seed Funding
David Silver, a former researcher at Google DeepMind, announced a record-breaking $1.1 billion seed funding round for his AI startup, Ineffable Intelligence. This funding, announced on Monday, values the nascent company at $5.1 billion, marking the largest-ever seed round in Europe and highlighting the immense investor interest in next-generation AI technologies.
Founded in late 2025, the London-based startup is on a mission to develop what Silver refers to as a “superlearner“. This AI system is designed to gain knowledge from its own experiences, rather than relying on human-generated data. Ineffable Intelligence aims to diverge from traditional AI models that are trained on internet text. Instead, it will focus on reinforcement learning, a process where artificial intelligence learns through trial and error, mirroring the way humans acquire skills.
The funding round was co-led by renowned venture capital firms, Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Tech giants Nvidia and Google, along with the UK government’s Sovereign AI Fund, also participated. Silver, who formerly led DeepMind’s reinforcement learning team and contributed to groundbreaking programs that outperformed professional players in chess and Go, stated that the company’s mission is to “make first contact with superintelligence“.
Liz Kendall, the UK Science and Technology Secretary, stressed the strategic significance of this investment. She stated that it showcases the UK’s resolve to be “an AI maker, not just an AI taker“. The funding is expected to expedite the development of AI systems that can surpass current limitations, potentially revolutionizing scientific research and engineering projects.
Source: CNBC