Google's DeepMind scientists are considering founding their own AI start-up
Google DeepMind scientists Laurent Sifre and Karl Tuyls are reportedly in talks with investors to launch a new artificial intelligence (AI) start-up in Paris, called Holistic. Amid Google's massive layoffs and cost-cutting measures, the duo has already raised a significant amount of capital for their venture. They are in discussions to secure funding that could exceed €200 million, showcasing the strong investor interest in AI technology, particularly in France.
Who are the two employees?
France has seen a surge in investments from venture capitalists and business leaders, especially in AI start-ups emerging from Parisian universities and AI hubs linked to Silicon Valley companies. Sifre is known for co-authoring the groundbreaking 2016 DeepMind research on Go, where an AI system defeated a human professional player in the full-sized game of Go. Tuyls' work focuses on game theory and multi-agent reinforcement learning within AI.
Growing AI trend
The potential AI start-up follows the formation of Mistral AI, an OpenAI rival, in early 2023. Mistral AI secured substantial funding rounds and achieved a valuation of around $2 billion by the end of the year. It is led by a former DeepMind executive. Additionally, Kyutai, a nonprofit AI research lab, was established in November with an initial funding of €300 million.
