Flapping Airplanes raises US$1 billion at US$6 billion valuation
The AI research startup’s valuation has quadrupled since January, despite having no product on sale.
AI research startup Flapping Airplanes has secured US$1 billion in funding, valuing it at US$6 billion, Bloomberg reported. Lux Capital and Index Ventures led the investment, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins and Alphabet’s GV.
Founded in late 2025 and based in San Francisco, the company has quadrupled its valuation since a US$180 million seed round in January. It does not yet sell a product.
Co-founder Asher Spector told Bloomberg that the lab is researching how to reduce the data and computing power needed to train AI models. It also aims to extract more performance from the chips used to run them.
Co-founder Aidan Smith said the startup is developing its own software for operating Nvidia graphics chips. Nvidia is also an investor in the company.
Spector said he expects AI demand to exceed the supply of chips and data. The startup eventually plans to sell its technology to help other companies use AI at lower cost. He founded the company alongside his brother Ben Spector and Smith.
