Meta's former AI chief Yann LeCun has raised more than $1 billion for Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs in Europe's largest seed funding round. The Paris-based startup announced backing from a global group including Cathay Innovation, Bezos Expeditions, Temasek, SBVA, and Nvidia. The $1.03 billion seed round values the company at $3.5 billion pre-money.

LeCun's new venture aims to build 'world models' that understand physical environments through videos and spatial data rather than just text. The company will be led by Nabla's former CEO Alexandre LeBrun as CEO, with LeCun serving as executive chair. Laurent Solly, Meta's former European vice president, joins as COO. The startup launches with a dozen employees across offices in Paris, New York, Singapore, and Montreal.

The record-breaking fundraising reflects growing investor interest in AI approaches beyond large language models. LeBrun emphasized the company will focus on research for at least a year before deploying real-world applications. While Meta isn't investing, it will form a partnership granting access to the technology. The funding comes amid a surge in AI venture capital, with AI companies attracting roughly $225 billion in 2025 according to CB Insights.