Stanford University professor Feifei Li, known by many as the “godmother of AI,” has raised $230 million for her new startup, World Labs, from backers including Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and Radical Ventures.
As TechCrunch reported in August, WorldLabs is valued at more than $1 billion and has raised funding in two rounds spaced a few months apart.
Lee’s company, which hopes to release its first product in 2025, aims to build AI models that understand and interact with the 3D world. World Labs is developing what it calls “large world models” that will be used by professionals like artists, designers, developers, and engineers. Martin Casado, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, told Wired that World Labs’ clients could include game companies or movie studios.
