Jeff Bezos is starting a new company with an investment of $6.5 billion, here are 10 startups that started off rich
Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos will lead a new startup, Project Prometheus. The AI-focused firm has reportedly raised $6.2 billion in seed funding. Let’s take a look at other startups that received huge funding early on.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO of the e-commerce platform four years ago. Now, he is back as the CEO of a new startup called Project Prometheus. However he will share the role with former Google Moonshot Factory executive Vic Bajaj. According to The New York Times, Project Prometheus is an artificial intelligence (AI) company that will focus on engineering and manufacturing. It appears that Bezos would leave no stone unturned to make the new startup successful.
Funding is no less than a lifeline for startups. It doesn’t matter how good your idea is or how ambitious your project is, you need to get investors on your side. Now, for a rich guy like Jeff Bezos, funding isn’t really an issue. The report said Project Prometheus has raised $6.2 billion in funding, with an unspecified amount coming directly from Bezos.
This massive funding makes Project Prometheus the richest startup when it comes to initial funding. However, it is not the only one. In the past, some startups have raised millions of dollars in seed funding, giving them a bigger head start than their peers. Here are 9 other startups that got off to a prosperous start.
Here are 9 other startups that got off to a prosperous start:
1. Altos Labs – $3 billion
Atlos Labs was founded in 2022 as a biotechnology startup. The company focuses on cell rejuvenation, which aims to reverse age-related diseases and disabilities. With the ambition of one day completely reversing aging, Atlos Labs was able to raise a whopping $3 billion in seed funding in 2022. Jeff Bezos is an investor in this startup
2. Thinking Machines Lab – $2 Billion
Thinking Machines Lab is an AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The company is creating new AI models focusing on human-AI collaboration. Murati’s startup raised $2 billion in its seed funding round in July 2025. Notable investors included investors such as Nvidia and AMD.
3. Space – $1.4 billion
Now, Sierra Space is not a traditional startup. The company began as a spin-off from Sierra Nevada Corporation. Sierra Space is a commercial space company with projects such as the reusable “spaceplane” Dreamchaser. During its first external funding round in November 2021, Sierra Space raised $1.4 billion.
4. Quibi – $1 billion
Quibi was a mobile-only video streaming service, with content no longer than 10 minutes. The startup raised $1 billion in 2018 at a time when online usage was shifting toward smartphones. Investors included major Hollywood studios, including Disney and Sony Pictures. The platform was shut down in December 2020.
5. Secure Superannuation (SSI) – $1 billion
Safe Superintelligence is an American AI startup that aims to develop superintelligent AI models that are safe and aligned with the best interests of humans. The startup raised $1 billion during its seed funding round in September 2024. It was founded by Ilya Sutskever, co-founder of OpenAI.
6. Zyra Therapeutics – $1 billion
Zyra Therapeutics is another biotech startup on this list. The company focuses on using AI to create new drugs and treatments. The startup raised $1 billion during its Series A funding in April 2024.
7. Terawatt Infrastructure – $1 Billion
Terawatt Infrastructure is an American startup that operates large-scale EV charging infrastructure for commercial fleets. Initially, the company raised $100 million in a seed funding round in 2021, but a year later, it received $1 billion in Series A funding.
8. Moonpay – $555 million
Moonpay is a cryptocurrency platform that aims to make cryptocurrencies accessible to everyone. The company allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies through traditional payment methods like credit cards. During its first external funding round in 2021, the startup raised $555 million.
9. Periodic Laboratories – $300 million
Periodic Labs uses AI to accelerate scientific discovery. The startup builds automated labs for AI to run experiments. In its seed round in October 2025, Periodic Labs raised $300 million.