Fei‑Fei Li, the renowned computer scientist and artificial intelligence pioneer, has raised $1 billion for her startup World Labs to advance development of cutting-edge spatial intelligence technologies, according to Reuters.
The funding round, announced on February 18, 2026, attracted investment from leading technology and finance players, including AMD, Nvidia, Autodesk, which contributed $200 million and will serve as an adviser, as well as Emerson Collective, Fidelity Management & Research, and Sea.
World Labs focuses on spatial intelligence, a branch of AI that enables machines to perceive, reason about, and interact with three-dimensional environments. The technology aims to extend AI beyond traditional 2D image and text-based models, with applications in augmented and virtual reality, robotics, and simulation.
Li, widely recognized for her work on the ImageNet project, which revolutionized computer vision, previously raised $230 million to launch World Labs in 2024. The new capital will support expanded research, talent acquisition, and product development, positioning the company at the forefront of next-generation AI, Investing.com reported.
Investors see the round as a signal of growing confidence in spatial AI as a critical frontier for the future of machine intelligence, with potential to transform technology across industries.
