AlphaGo Co-Creator Thore Graepel Seeks Tens of Millions for New AI Startup Metis Reasoning

Thore Graepel, a co-creator of the pioneering AlphaGo system at Google DeepMind, has departed the Alphabet Inc. research lab to launch a new artificial intelligence startup and is seeking a significant seed investment. The new venture, Metis Reasoning, is looking to raise tens of millions of dollars, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter.

The Funding Round

Graepel is reportedly in preliminary discussions to secure the initial funds from a small group of backers. The sources indicated that the structure and final size of the funding round could still change.

Following this initial tranche, Metis Reasoning could potentially raise a much larger round of hundreds of millions of dollars at a higher valuation. The strong investor interest is largely attributed to Graepel's prominent role in developing AlphaGo, the AI system that famously defeated world-champion players of the board game Go and marked a milestone in AI capabilities.

Metis Reasoning's Focus

Metis Reasoning is reportedly developing artificial intelligence designed to tackle unfamiliar problems and determine appropriate courses of action. This advanced form of AI reasoning has potential applications across several high-value sectors, including:

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• Robotics
• Scientific research
• Engineering

Context: The DeepMind Diaspora

Graepel's departure is the latest example of top-tier talent leaving established AI labs like Google DeepMind to pursue venture-backed startups. This trend highlights the intense competition for leading AI researchers and the significant capital available for new ventures with credible leadership.

Other high-profile researchers involved with the original AlphaGo project include OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and David Silver, founder of Ineffable Intelligence. Graepel's move signals continued entrepreneurial activity stemming from the alumni of elite AI research groups, which are a focal point for venture capital investment in the sector.