---
title: "DeepMind's David Silver raises $1.1B for AI innovation"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/c186d6b5-bb11-4856-bb29-24aff1cf81ef
source_url: "https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/27/deepminds-david-silver-just-raised-1-1b-to-build-an-ai-that-learns-without-human-data/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/finance/stack/848b27f4-bed8-4734-b1d6-d0adbc0f05b5
summary: "Ineffable Intelligence, a British AI lab founded by former DeepMind researcher David Silver, has raised $1.1 billion at a $5.1 billion valuation to build a \"superlearner\" using reinforcement learning that discovers knowledge without human data. The round was led by Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Google, Nvidia, Index Ventures, and the U.K.'s Sovereign AI fund."
tags: "ai-startup, reinforcement-learning, funding, deepmind, david-silver, venture-capital, london"
key_entities: "Ineffable Intelligence (organization), David Silver (person), DeepMind (organization), Sequoia Capital (organization), Lightspeed Venture Partners (organization), Index Ventures (organization), Google (organization), Nvidia (organization), Sovereign AI (organization), AlphaZero (technology), reinforcement learning (concept), superlearner (concept), University College London (organization), AMI Labs (organization), Yann LeCun (person), Recursive Superintelligence (organization), Tim Rocktäschel (person), British Business Bank (organization), London (location), TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 (event)"
classification: "analysis"
content_hash: "sha256:7259b0e3be771c9484c5bd778becdc933af99ff0ea78fd50e51313787af454d5"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 1578
visibility: public
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status: "final"
---

# DeepMind's David Silver raises $1.1B for AI innovation

Ineffable Intelligence , a British AI lab founded a mere few months ago by former DeepMind researcher David Silver, has raised $1.1 billion in funding at a valuation of $5.1 billion to join the race for novel AI models that could outperform large language models. According to its newly launched site, Ineffable aims to create a “superlearner” capable of discovering knowledge and skills without relying on human data by leveraging reinforcement learning — a technique in which AI systems learn through trial and error rather than studying human-generated examples. This is Silver’s area of expertise. A professor at University College London, Silver was until recently leading the reinforcement learning team at Google-owned DeepMind, where he spent more than a decade before leaving to found this new venture. While at DeepMind, Silver was involved in developing programs that beat professional players at chess and the board game Go by learning purely from experience, without being fed human strategies or game records — defeating the world’s top computer programs in each game. The most notable of these was AlphaZero . Similarly, Ineffable Intelligence hopes that its superlearner will discover all knowledge from its own experience. Its superlearner may lack experience, but the company doesn’t lack ambition. “If successful, this will represent a scientific breakthrough of comparable magnitude to Darwin: where his law explained all Life, our law will explain and build all Intelligence,” its site claims (capitals included). Referring to Ineffable Intelligence as “his life’s work” in a personal note that he has since published on the company’s blog, Silver also told Wired that “any money that I make from Ineffable will go to high-impact charities that save as many lives as possible.” It is unclear how, when, or how much the venture will make, but this clearly hasn’t hindered fundraising. Techcrunch event This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost. This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW According to Wired, the round was led by Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Index Ventures, Google, Nvidia, and others. Among those other investors are the British Business Bank and Sovereign AI , the U.K.’s recently launched sovereign venture fund for AI. Fast-forwarding to so-called pentacorn status — meaning companies valued at more than $5 billion — Ineffable Intelligence joins the club of AI ventures founded by star researchers whose names have attracted seed rounds so large they have been nicknamed coconut rounds (a tongue-in-cheek escalation of the “seed” round). Just last month, AMI Labs, co-founded by Turing Award winner and former Meta AI scientist Yann LeCun, raised $1.03 billion at a $3.5 billion pre-money valuation .  There might be more companies in this mold. Recursive Superintelligence, co-founded by DeepMind’s former principal scientist Tim Rocktäschel and incorporated in the U.K., reportedly raised $500 million , with enough demand to stretch that amount to $1 billion.  While Recursive also has ties to the U.S., these companies suggest mounting momentum around London as an AI hub. This is partly thanks to DeepMind’s continued presence after its acquisition by Google in 2014. But it is not just DeepMind. Jeff Bezos’ AI lab, Project Prometheus, is reportedly in talks to secure office space close to Google’s AI hub .  This also translates into a powerful network of alumni, with several former DeepMind staffers reportedly set to join Ineffable’s executive team. Topics AI , DeepMind , ineffable intelligence , lightspeed , reinforcement learning , Sequoia Capital , United Kingdom When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission . This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Anna Heim Freelance Reporter Anna Heim is a writer and editorial consultant. You can contact or verify outreach from Anna by emailing annatechcrunch [at] gmail.com. As a freelance reporter at TechCrunch since 2021, she has covered a large range of startup-related topics including AI, fintech & insurtech, SaaS & pricing, and global venture capital trends. As of May 2025, her reporting for TechCrunch focuses on Europe’s most interesting startup stories. Anna has moderated panels and conducted onstage interviews at industry events of all sizes, including major tech conferences such as TechCrunch Disrupt, 4YFN, South Summit, TNW Conference, VivaTech, and many more. A former LATAM & Media Editor at The Next Web, startup founder and Sciences Po Paris alum, she’s fluent in multiple languages, including French, English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. View Bio May 27 Athens, Greece StrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone. 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