Jeff Bezos has returned to the CEO chair for the first time since stepping down from Amazon in 2021, taking the co-CEO role at Project Prometheus alongside Vik Bajaj, a former Google X executive and co-founder of Verily. The artificial intelligence startup announced a $12 billion Series B funding round on June 11, 2026, valuing the company at $41 billion.
Prometheus launched in November 2025 with $6.2 billion in Series A funding, but remained secretive until Thursday’s announcement. The company builds what Bezos calls an “artificial general engineer,” an AI system capable of automating the design and manufacturing of complex physical systems ranging from jet engines to drug compounds. Bezos described the technology as a “very modern version” of computer-aided design software that accelerates the invention loop.
Investors in the Series B include JPMorgan, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, DST Global, and Arch Venture Partners, alongside Bezos’ personal investment. The round values Prometheus at roughly $41 billion based on the $12 billion raised. Prometheus currently employs approximately 150 people and operates independently from both Amazon and Blue Origin, though Bezos noted that Blue Origin functions as “a case study for a customer of Prometheus.”
Bezos emphasized that Prometheus aims to amplify rather than replace human engineers. Vik Bajaj stated that the pace of physical creation remains far slower than human imagination, and Prometheus seeks to narrow that gap. When asked directly about robotics, Bezos interrupted to clarify that Prometheus has nothing to do with robotics, focusing instead on design and manufacturing acceleration tools.
The company operates with what Bezos calls a “dedicated team obsessed with this one thing,” maintaining independence to pursue the singular mission of building artificial general engineering capabilities. Bezos revealed he became so impressed by the potential after initially joining as a founding investor in late 2024 that he decided to join full-time.
