Internet Explorer creator Thomas Reardon raises $500M for Flourish, a brain-inspired AI efficiency startup valued at $2.5B
Thomas Reardon, who created Internet Explorer and sold neural interface startup CTRL-labs to Meta for up to $1 billion, is raising approximately $500 million for Flourish at a $2.5 billion valuation. The startup uses connectomics and neuroscience to design AI architectures that are radically more energy-efficient, targeting the architectural layer above silicon rather than building new chips. Lux Capital and GV, who backed CTRL-labs, are expected to lead the round.
TL;DR
- Thomas Reardon, creator of Internet Explorer and founder of CTRL-labs, is raising $500 million for his new startup, Flourish.
- Flourish aims to make AI significantly more energy-efficient by adopting design principles from the human brain.
- The startup is valued at $2.5 billion and is backed by investors Lux Capital and GV.
- Flourish focuses on AI architecture and software, inspired by neuroscience and connectomics, rather than specialized hardware.
- The AI industry's massive and growing power consumption is a primary driver for Flourish's mission.
- Reardon's career history of identifying and solving hard technical problems at the intersection of different fields supports investor confidence.